URBANA 


a  A 


ILLINOIS  STATE  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


3  3051  00000  1481 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/waterresourcesof05bowm 


ILLINOIS 
STATE  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 


BULLETIN  No.  5. 


Water  Resources  of  the  East  St.  Louis 

District 


BY 


ISAIAH  BOWMAN 

ASSISTED  BY 

CHESTER  ALBERT  REEDS 


Urbana 

University  of  Illinois 

1907 


SPRINGFIELD: 
Phillips  Bros.,  State  Printers. 

1  907 


we    ST 


/  RECEIVED 

ILLINOIS  GEOLOGICAL 
SURVEY  LIBRARY 


V. 


STATE  GEOLOGICAL  COMMISSION. 


Governor  C.  S.  Deneen,  Chairman. 
Professor  T.  C.  Chamberlin,  Vice  Chairman. 

President  Edmund  J.  James,  Secretary. 


H.  Foster  Bain,  Director. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page. 

List   of   illustrations VIII 

Letter  of  transmittal IX 

Introduction    (By  Isaiah  Bowman) 1 

Nature   of   hydrologic   investigations 1 

Location  and  extent  of  the  East  St.  Louis  district 2 

Manufacturing    interests '. 3 

Acknowledgements 3 

Plan    of    report 3 

Economic  features   (By  Isaiah  Bowman) 4 

East  St.  Louis  as  a  manufacturing  site 4 

Determination    of   sites 4 

Basic  points  in  railroad  transportation 4 

Bridge    monopoly 5 

Transportation  rates  across  the   Mississippi 5 

Land  values  and  business  facilities '. .  6 

Topographic  features    (By  Isaiah  Bowman) 6 

Topographic    subdivisions 6 

Mississippi    flood-plain 7 

Origin  and  development 7 

Upland    district 9 

Characteristic    features 9 

General  effect  on  ground  water 9 

Valley  development  on  margin  of  upland  in  relation  to  reservoir  sites 9 

Features  of  the  Karst : .  10 

Sink  holes  and  caves '...'... 10 

Combinations  of  normal  and  Karst  topography 11 

Hydrographic  features   (by  Chester  A.  Reeds 13 

General 13 

Streams  in  arid  and  humid  climates  compared. . .  . 4 13 

Classification  of  drainage  systems ; ' 13 

Description   of  drainage   systems 13 

Wood   river ■. 13 

Upland    section : 13 

Flood  plain  section 14 

Cahokia     creek 14 

Upland    section .  14 

Flood    plain    section 14 

Prairie   du  Pont  creek 16 

Upland     section 16 

Flood   plain   section . . .  4 16 

Mississippi    river 17 

Silver  and  Richland  creeks 18 

Geologic  features   (by  Chester  A.   Reeds) 18 

Introductory     note 18 

Geologic    formations 19 

General    statement 19 

Ordovician 19 

St.    Peters    sandstone 19 

Stones    river    limestone 20 

Trenton    limestone 20 

Richmond   limestone   and   shales : 20 

Silurian 21 

Niagara    limestone 21 

Devonian     21 

Mississippian 22 

Kinderhook  shales  and  sandstones • 22 

Osage    limestones 22 

Meramec    limestones 22 


VI 

Table  of  Contents — Continued. 

Tage. 

Pennsylvania]!     23 

Coal    measures ' 23  . 

Pleistocene     25 

Till 25 

Loess     . 26 

Recent    alluvial    deposits 27 

Mississippi     river 27 

Tributary     streams 28 

Surface  sources  of  water  supply   (by  Isaiah  Bowman) 29 

Use    of    rainwater 29 

Cisterns 29 

Construction    -. 29 

Use   and  advantages 29 

Recommendations     29 

Water  supply  from  springs  and  streams 30 

Springs     30 

Distribution     30 

Utilization   of   spring  water .  .■ 30 

Streams     , 31 

General   statement 31 

Mississippi    river    water 31 

Difficulties    in    utilizing 31 

Popular  view  of  availability 31 

Pipe   line   to   the  river 31 

Problems  of  system,  as  illustrated  by  City  Water  Co 32 

Granite   City   pumping   station 32 

Location '„  .  . .  :  .  32 

Difficulties   of  maintenance,   shifting   sands 32 

East   St.    Louis  pumping   station 33 

Location     33 

River     connections 33 

Difficulties    of   maintenance 34 

Cleansing     processes 35 

Conclusion     37 

Water   supply  from   tributary   streams 37 

General     statement 37 

Sources   of  pollution 38 

Varying    turbidity 38 

Water    supply   from   lakes    and    reservoirs 39 

Lakes     39 

Position   and   characteristics 39 

Present    use 39 

Character 39 

Future     use 40 

Conclusion     40 

Reservoirs     40 

*  Present    use 40 

Waterloo    system , 41 

Recommendations 41 

Contamination    through   pond   water 42 

Conclusion     .  , 42 

Underground  sources  of  water  supply  (by  Isaiah  Bowman) 43 

Water  resources  of  the  Mississippi  flood  plain 43 

Special  features   of   location 43 

Underground    drainage 43 

Direction   of   movement 43 

Level  of  the  water  table 44 

Relation    to    the    Mississippi 44 

Effect   of  innundations 46 

Effect   of  rainfall 47 

Accretions  from   the  upland  ground   water 47 

Conclusion     48 

Occurrence  and  recovery  of  the  ground  water 48 

Occurrence     49 

Recovery     49 

Conclusion 50 

Water  resources  of  the  karst 50 

Difference  between  ground  water  and  karst  waters,  in  relation  to  success  of 

wells     50 

Uncertainty  of  supplies  in  karsted  regions 51 

Springs   of   karsted   regions 52 

Falling    spring 52 

Location  and  relations 52 

Improvements     53 

Turbidity  of  water  after  rain 53 

Travertine  deposits  at  exit 53 

Varying  quality    of   water 53 


VII 


Table  of  Contents — Continued. 


Page. 

Wells  of  karstcd  regions 54 

Turbidity  of  well  water  in  the  karst 54 

Contamination   of  karst  water 54 

Conclusion 55 

Water  resources  of   deeper  horigons 55 

Artesian    conditions 55 

Flowing    wells 55 

Non-flowing    wells 56 

Catchment   area , . 56 

Quality     : 56 

Deep  artesian  wells  as  a  source  of  pollution 56 

General     statement 56 

Illustrations    of    unfavorable    conditions 56 

Relations  of  different  water  horizons 57 

Defective    casing 57 

Longevity  of  casing 57 

State  law  regarding  the  problem 58 

Specific    cases    of   pollution 58 

Saginaw,    Michigan •  58 

Dallas,    Texas 59 

Recommendations     60 

The  loess  and  drift  waters. 60 

•  Source 60 

Disposition  in  response  to  structure 60 

City  and  village  water  suppplies  and  systems   (by  Chester  A.   Reeds) 62 

Belleville 62 

Edwardsville     65 

Plant    65 

Mains     .  . 66 

Water     tower 66 

Cost    67 

Water    67 

Sources   of   supply 67 

Collinsville     68 

Caseyville     -....- 69 

Alton    69 

East    Alton 70 

Glen     Carbon 71 

East     Carondolet 72 

O'Fallon 72 

Mitchell    i 72 

Nameoki     73 

East    St.    Louis 73 

Granite    City 73 

Analyses  and  well  sections 73 

Analyses     73 

Mineral    analyses 74 

Sanitary    analyses 78 

Well   sections   and   miscellaneous 1 00 

Summary   of   conclusions 118 

Conclusions   regarding   surface   sources   of   water   supply 118 

Conclusions  regarding  underground  sources  of  water  supply 11'9 


VJ1I 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Plates. 

Page. 

1.  (a)  Impounded   headwater   drainage,   showing  dam   and   reservoir   one   and   one- 

half  miles  south  of  Sparta.  Conditions  similar  to  those  U  ascribed  on  page 
10.  (b)  General  view  of  Karst  topography,  four  miles  south  of  Stolle, 
showing  numerous  sink  holes  and  absence  of  trunk  drainage  at  the 
surface 10 

2.  Artificial  drainage   of  higher   obstructed   sink   hole   into   lower,   having  good 

underground  connection.     Locality,  one  mile  east  of  Falling  Spring 12 

3.  (a.)  Upper  reservoir  of  the  Waterloo  public  water  system.      (b)    Failing  Spring, 

showing  exit  of  underground  stream  at  a  point  half  way  up  the  Missis- 
sippi bluffs  and  improvements  for  the  use  of  the  water 42 

4.  Map   of  the  East   St.   Louis  district,   showing  topography,   drainage,   culture 

and   well   locations 120 

Figures. 

1.  Expressing  combination   of   karst  and  normal   topography,   two   miles  south 

of  Burksville  station.  The  stream  runs  on  a  small  tract  of  Chester  sand- 
stone and  disappears  in  a  sink  hole  as  soon  as  it  reaches  the  karsted  St. 
Louis    limestone 12 

2.  Geological  section  across  the  southern  part  of  the  East  St.   Louis  district, 

from  east  to  west  through  Mascoutah,  111.,  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.  ...      24 

3.  Geological   section  from   east  to   west  across   the  central   part  of   the   East 

St.  Louis  district,  twelve  miles  east  of  Collinsville,  111.,  to  eight  miles 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  through  the  northern  part  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.     25 

4.  Diagram    to    show    the    heterogeneous    character    of    the    alluvial    deposits, 

after  Todd  (Bull.  158,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.) 27 

5.  Cabaret  Island  and  Granite  City  pumping  station  of  the  City  Water  Co ... .     32 

6.  Cone  strainer  of  fine  mesh  in  suction  main  ;  City  Water  Co.  of  East  St.  Louis     34 

7.  Sand  filter  employed  by  the  City  Water  Co.  of  East  St.  Louis  and  Granite 

City  in  purifying  river  water 36 

8.  Section  in  East  St.  Louis,  showing  slope  of  ground  water  toward  the  Mis- 

sissippi   river 45 

9.  Profile  across  upland  bluffs   one   mile  south   of  Peters,   showing  surface   of 

ground  water  in  relation  to  topography    41 

10.  Edwardsville  pumping   station,   at   Poag. 66 

11 .  Pumping  station   at   Alton 70 


IX 


State  Geological  Survey, 

University  of  Illinois, 

Urban  a,  March  i,  1907. 

Governor  C.  S.  Deneen,  Chairman,  and  Members  of  the  Geological 
Commission: 

Gentlemen — I  submit  herewith  a  report  upon  the  water  resources 
of  the  East  St.  Iibuis  district,  prepared  by  Mr.  Isaiah  Bowman  of  Yale 
University,  assisted  by  Mr.  Chester  A.  Reeds.  This  report  is  one  of 
the  results  of  the  cooperative  studies  of  the  .water  resources  of  the 
State  now  being  carried  on  by  the  State  Geological  Survey,  the  State 
Water  Survey,  the  Engineering  Experiment  Station,  and  the  United 
States  Geological  Survey.  Originally  it  was  planned  that  this  particu- 
lar work  should  be  undertaken  jointly  by  the  State  Geological  Survey 
and  the  United  States  Geological  Survey.  It  was  accordingly  begun 
by  Mr.  tBowman  as  assistant  hydrologist,  acting  under  orders  of  Mr. 
M.  L.  Fuller,  chief  of  the  eastern  section,  Division  of  Hydrology.  Later 
it  was  found  better  to  treat  the  work  as  a  portion  of  the  general  cooper- 
ative work  on  the  waters  of  Illinois,  and  the  direction  of  the  work  was 
accordingly  transferred  to  the  State  Geological  Survey.  Dr.  Edward 
Bartow,  consulting  chemist  to  the  survey,  and  director  of  the  State 
Water  Survey,  has  furnished  a  large  number  of  the  analyses  used  in 
this  report,  and  has  read  and  criticised  portions  of  the  manuscript. 

It  is  not  generally  appreciated  to  what  an  extent  the  plants  which  con- 
tribute to  the  industrial  importance  of  St.  Louis  are  located  east  of  the 
Mississippi  in  Illinois.  For  reasons,  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial, 
which  Mr.  Bowman  indicates,  a  very  large  number  of  the  most  import- 
ant industries  are  located  on  the  great  level  plain  which  forms  the 
larger  part  of  the  East  St.  Louis  district.  In  any  manufacturing  com- 
munity an  adequate  supply  of  water  for  municipal  and  industrial  pur- 
pises  is  of  first  importance.  The  rapid  growth  of  this  particular  area 
and  the  great  variety  of  industries  present  has  seemed  to  warrant  this 
special  study.  In  the  report  an  attempt  is  made  to  throw  such  light  as 
the  hydrologist  may  on  the  general  water  problems  of  the  district.  The 
specific  problems  of  each  vilf  ,ge  and  city  and  of  the  individual  indus- 
tries are  not  here  considered.  These  necessarily  demand  more  detailed 
study  than  an  officer  acting  for  the  State  can  be  expected  to  give. 
Further  studies  of  the  boiler  waters  of  this  and  other  areas  in  the  State 

—E.G. 


are  now  under  way  as  a  portion  of  the  general  cooperative  work  already 
mentioned.  Their  results  will  probably  be  published  in  the  bulletins 
of  the  Engineering  Experiment  Station  and  the  State  Water  Survey. 

In  the  prosecution  of  this  investigation  assistance  has  been  received 
from  many  sources  which  are  in  the  main  acknowledged  in  the  text. 
To  those  mentioned  and  to  the  many  others  who  gave  time  and  effort 
to  the  work  I  beg  to  express  the  thanks  of  the  survey. 

Very  respectfully, 

H.  Foster  Bain, 

Director. 


WATER  RESOURCES  OF  THE  EAST  ST.  LOUIS 
DISTRICT. 

By  Isaiah  Bowman,  Assisted  by  Chester  Albert  Reeds. 


INTRODUCTION. 
By  Isaiah  Bowman. 

Nature  of  hydrologic  investigation.  It  seems  necessary  in  this 
place  to  indicate  briefly  the  nature  of  hydrologic  investigations  and  the 
importance  in  a  study  of  water  supply  of  physiographic  and  geologic 
data. 

The  point  of  first  importance  is  the  occurrence  of  potable  water, 
whether  in  the  form  of'  springs,  streams,  lakes,  artificial  and  natural 
ponds,  wells,  etc.  The  person  desiring  water  wishes  to  know  where  he 
can  find  it  and  in  what  amount.  He  wishes  to  know  the  chemistry  of 
the  water,  whether  it  is  pure  and  safe ;  and,  if  it  is  desired  for  boiler 
purposes,  whether  it  will  scale  a  boiler  or  whether  it  must  be  treated 
with  a  compound  before  it  can  be  so  used.  The  best  manner  of  obtain- 
ing the  water  must  also  be  known,  the  style  of  well  drilling  rig  best 
suited  to  the  given  depth  and  the  geologic  conditions  of  the  region. 
Data  as  to  cost  are  also  desirable,  but  are  most  difficult  to  obtain. 

If  the  water  supply  is  from  streams  it  will  be  necessary  to  study  the 
regime  of  the  streams  in  question,  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters,  the 
permanence  of  sites  for  water  works  and  reservoirs,  and  the  liability  to 
embarrassment  from  overflow.  On  page  31  is  begun  a  discussion  of  the 
Mississippi  as  a  source  of  water  supply,  and  some  of  the  most  inter- 
esting as  well  as  most  difficult  of  the  water  problems  in  this  district 
are  encountered  in  the  attempt  to  secure,  purify  and  deliver  river 
water.  If  the  supply  is  from  ponds  or  lakes  the  protection  of  the 
watershed  is  of  paramount  interest,  and  of  great  interest  also  is  the 
effect  on  the  quality  of  the  water  of  the  rank  vegetation  sometimes 
found  in  ponds  where  the  water  is  too  stagnant  to  be  kept  free  from 
grasses  and  weeds. 

The  importance  of  geologic  and  physiographic  data  in  determination 
of  water  supply  must  be  recognized.  The  occurrence,  quanity  and 
quality  of  underground  water  supplies  depend  primarily  upon  geologic 
conditions.  The  texture  of  the  rock  will  determine  in  part  the  amount 
of  the  water,  and  the  mineral  composition  of  the  rock  will  affect  the 
quality  of  the  supplies.  Since  the  structural  interpretations  are  some- 
times dependent  upon  paleontologic  data  this  branch  of  science  is  also 
serviceable  at  times.    Facts  of  this  kind  have  been  used  to  good  advant- 


Z  WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST..  LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

age  in  several  places' in  this  report.  Physiographic  studies  are  fre- 
quently of  vital  importance  in  this  field,  as  the  topography  determines 
to  such  a  large  extent  the  head  of  the  water  and  the  extent  of  the 
catchment  area.  This  is  particularly  true  of  shallow  supplies  where  the 
form  and  ever-changing  position  of  the  water  table  reflect  the  surface 
features,  including  the  drainage. 

In  the  discussion  and  interpretation  of  data  of  the  kind  commonly 
considered  in  this  report  it  should  be  constantly  borne  in  mind  that 
whatever  other  qualities  they  possess,  such  discussions  or  conclusions 
are  based  upon  evidence  with  which  there  must  always  be  associated  a 
certain  degree  of  error.  This  is  inevitable.  The  physicist  or  chemist 
dealing  .with  precise  measurements  and  accurately  determined  condi- 
tions may  state  with  assurance  the  result  of  experiment  or  calculation. 
Likewise  the  field  geologist  in  mapping  outcrops  and  sketching  sections 
deals  directly  with  his  subject;  acquires  information  first  hand.  The 
hydrologist,  on  the  other  hand,  acquires  much  of  his  information 
through  a  class  of  men,  oftentimes  unscientific,  and  these,  standing  be- 
tween the  fact  and  its  interpreter,  lend  a  certain  inaccuracy  to  a  state- 
ment of  fact  in  a  report.  This  is  by  no  means  usually  intentional  or 
even  conscious,  but  the  natural  consequence  of  defective  memory  often 
slightly  reinforced  by  preference  for  a  familiar  interpretation. 

Thus  a  well  driller  or  well  owner  without  a  written  record  of  a  well 
section  gives  from  memory  an  approximate  section,  and  both  the  suc- 
cession of  beds  constituting  the  section  and  the  depths  at  which  they 
occur  may  vary  somewhat  from  the  fact.  Further  than  this,  there  is 
no  possible  way  to  determine  the  precise  depths  of  formations  in  a 
bore  hole  other  than  by  cleaning  out  the  hole  thoroughly  and  getting  a 
sample  from  the  bottom.  In  ordinary  drilling  this  is  not  practiced  and 
the  drillings  from  one  formation  are  mixed  with  the  next  lower  one. 
It  will  be  observed  that  for  the  usual  purposes  of  the  hydrologist  no 
such  refined  measurements  as  the  above  criticism  implies  are  necessary, 
but  errors  arising  from  lapses  in  memory  are  oftentimes  serious.  There 
is  also  considerable  variations  among  drillers  in  the  use  of  such  words 
as  sand  rock,  shale,  lime  rock,  etc.  Where  records  are  supplied  from 
memory  they  must  be  carefully  checked,  both  as  to  depths  and  rock 
quality,  by  more  trustworthy  records. 

The  point  of  the  whole  matter  is  the  necessity  for  a  conservative 
estimate  of  the  worth  of  each  contributor's  testimony  and  for  diligent 
inquiry  for  reliable  and  conclusive  evidence  in  which  there  is  the  mini- 
mum of  error.  It  is  this  point  of  view  that  the  author  has  steadfastly 
maintained  in  the  collection  of  the  facts  set  forth  in  the  following 
pages.  Many  of  the  conclusions  are  based  on  direct  evidence ;  those 
based  on  less  reliable  evidence  are  stated  in  conservative  form.  It  is 
hoped  that  this  method  will  prevent  error  in  the  practical  application  of 
the  results. 

Location  and  extent  of  the  East  St.  Louis  district.  The  East  St. 
Louis  district  of  Illinois,  as  the  term  is  used  in  this  report,  includes  the 
city  of  East  St.  Louis  and  that  part  of  the  surrounding  territory  that 
lies  within  what  is  known  locally  as  the  terminal  limit,  or  the  yard 
limits  of  the  Terminal  Railroad  Association.    As  thus  defined  the  dis- 


bowman.]  ECONOMIC   CONDITIONS.  6 

trict  is  limited  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi  river  and  on  the  east  by 
the  towns,  Belleville  and  Edwardsville.  Among  the  'arger  towns 
lying  within  the  area  may  be  mentioned  Alton,  Granite  City,  Madison, 
Collinsville,  O'Fallon  and  East  Carondelet.  The  boundaries  of  the 
district  do  not  conform  to  county  or  town  boundaries,  but  follow  an 
irregular  course. 

Manufacturing  interests.  In  this  district  there  has  been  a  rapid 
growth  in  manufactures  in  recent  years  and  a  corresponding  growth 
of  interest  in  the  problems  of  water  supply.  Today  the  problem  which 
confronts  the  manufacturer  is  of  most  serious  proportions,  and  every- 
where; the  writers  found  the  keenest  interest  in  the  activities  of  the 
State  Survey  in  this  direction,  and  an  earnest  desire  to  assist  the  work 
in  every  possible  manner. 

Acknowledgements.  It  is,  therefore,  with  great  pleasure  that 
acknowledgment  is  here  made  of  assistance  given  by  well  owners  in 
this  vicinity.  Competition  in  industrial  life  is  of  such  a  character  that 
any  data  obtained  from  experiments  are  carefully  guarded  by  the  ex- 
perimenter, and  a  rival  company  is  obliged  to  go  to  the  expense  and 
trouble  of  repeating  the  experiment  if  it  desires  the  information.  The 
East  St.  Louis  district  offers  many  examples  of  this  kind  in  connec- 
tion with  the  development  of  untried  sources  of  water  supply.  It  was 
with  unusual  satisfaction  that  these  men  saw  the  problem  undertaken 
by  the  State  Survey,  and  information  which  had  been  jealously 
guarded  for  years  was  cordially  placed  at  our  disposal.  It  was  recog- 
nized that  our  recommendations  would  be  valuable  in  strict  proportion 
to  the  completeness  with  which  the  data  were  gathered.  The  State  is 
an  impartial  collector  and  adviser,  and  in  a  problem  of  such  vital  and 
practical  interest  can  offer  a  reasonable  solution  only  when  all  the 
witnesses  in  the  case  are  impartial  and  helpful.  Acknowledgement  is 
made  on  different  pages  of  special  assistance,  the  complete  list  being 
too  long  to  include  here. 

It  is  desired  especially  to  acknowledge  the  cooperation  of  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  in  this  work.  As  originally  planned  the  study  was 
to  be  conducted  by  both  the  State  and  the  national  surveys,  the  results 
to  be  published  in  a  water  supply  and  irrigation  paper.  The  funds 
available  for  hydrographic  work  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  were 
not  sufficient  to  allow  further  cooperation  with  the  State  Geological 
Survey  of  Illinois,  and  on  June  20th,  1906,  the  former  arrangement 
was  terminated,  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  acting  through  Mr.  M. 
L.  Fuller,  chief  of  the  eastern  section  of  the  Division  of  Hydrology, 
generously  placing  all  data  acquired  up  to  that  date  in  the  hands  of  the 
State.  No  change  was  made  in  the  personnel  of  the  field  party  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Bowman,  the  work  being  continued  uniformly  until 
July  25th. 

Plan  of  report.  Attention  is  called  to  the  two-fold  character  of  this 
report.  In  the  first  place  it  deals  with  the  present  hvdrographic  condi- 
tions in  the  district,  each  source  of  water  supplv  being  described  in 
details  as  to  quality,  amount,  availability,  etc.,  and  in  the  second  place, 
it  makes  certain  recommendations  based  on  the  facts  in  the  case  and 
the  lessons  of  former  experience  in  water  problems.     It   is  believed 


4  WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  Lbull.  5 

that  the  former  will  be  of  practical  interest  in  the  actual  tapping  of  a 
given  source;  and  it  is  believed  that  the  latter  will  be  useful  to  any 
well  owner  who  finds  himself  confronted  by  any  one  of  the  several 
difficult  situations  noted  in  the  following  pages. 


ECONOMIC  FEATURES. 


(By  Isiah  Bowman.) 


East  St.  Louis  as  a  manufacturing  site.  Many  physical  conditions 
lead  to  the  embarrassment  of  the  East  St.  Louis  manufacturer.  Foun- 
dation sites  are  always  poor,  the  grounds  and  buildings  are  often  inun- 
dated at  high  water,  and  the  securing  of  an  adequate  and  cheap  supply 
of  water  is  oftentimes  rendered  exceedingly  difficult.  The  layman  is, 
therefore,  led  to  inquire  why  the  site  is  not  abandoned  and  manufac- 
turing plants  located  nearer  the  center  of  the  city  and  the  homes  of  the 
workmen.  The  answer  to  this  query  is  found  in  an  economic  situation, 
unique  in  that  it  transcends  every  other  condition,  physical  or  political, 
in  this  section  of  the  country. 

Determination  of  sites.  To  understand  the  situation  it  is  necessary 
to  turn  to  a  problem  in  transportation,  and  if  this  does  not  seem  to  be 
germane  to  the  question  of  water  supply,  it  is  only  necessary  to  recall 
that  manufacturing  sites  are  located  in  given  places,  usually  not  for 
one  but  for  several  reasons  among  which  there  may  be  a  certain  in- 
compatibility requiring  adjustment.  If  a  sufficient  number  of  condi- 
tions are  favorable  a  site  is  selected  accordingly,  the  manufacturer 
seeking  to  amend  the  less  favorable  conditions  to  the  point  of  tolera- 
tion. One  cannot  in  the  present  instance  adequately  understand  the 
seriousness  of  the  water  problems  without  recognizing  how  serious 
are  the  conditions  which  demand  that  the  sites  for  these  great  plants 
shall  be  located  on  the  east  and  not  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi. 

Basic  points  in  railroad  transportation.  In  the  organization  of  any 
railway  system  the  problem  of  freight  charges  is  commonly  solved  by 
referring  the  shipments  to  what  are  known  as  basic  points.  That  is  to 
say,  suppose  a  railroad  runs  from  Minneapolis  to  New  York  md 
passes  through  Chicago  and  Pittsburg.  These  four  cities  might  then 
become  basic  points,  with  the  result  that  three  separate  shipments  of 
flour  from  Minneapolis  to  each  of  the  other  three  cities  would  be 
charged  separate  rates,  and  these  rates  and  not  proportionate  rates 
would  be  charged  on  all  freight  to  intermediate  points.  Consequently 
the  cost  of  a  shipment  of  flour  to  any  point  east  of  Chicago  and  west 
of  Pittsburg  would  equal  the  cost  of  shipments  to  the  latter  city, 
although  the  distance  might  be  several  hundred  miles  shorter.  Rail- 
road men  contend  that  the  enormous  expenses  attendant  on  the  pur- 
chase of  land  in  the  large  cities  and  the  erection  of  terminal  stations, 
freight  sheds,  main  tracks,  switches,  etc.,  must  be  paid  for  either  by 
the  excess  noted  above  or  by  the  introduction  of  considerably  higher 
rates  over  their  entire  lines.  The  former  is  certainly  the  easier  way 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  railroad ;  and  as  the  largest  shipments  and 


bowman.]  ECONOMIC   CONDITIONS.  5 

therefore  the  keenest  competition  occurs  between  the  large  cities,  it  is 
clear  that  the  latter  expedient  would  involve  the  management  in  one 
of  the  gravest  difficulties  of  transportation.  It  is  not  our  purpose  to 
discuss  this  question  from  either  the  legal  or  the  equitable  standpoint; 
we  shall  merely  describe  the  practice  and  its  application  to  the  district 
under  consideration. 

In  the  early  development  of  the  railway  system  in  the  St.  Louis 
district  East  St.  Louis  and  not  St.  Louis  was  made  the  basic  point  for 
shipments  and  has  remained  the  reference  point  up  to  the  present.  In 
making  shipments  to  St.  Louis  from  eastern  points  a  certain  rate  is 
charged  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  transhipment  to  St.  Louis  involves  the 
shipper  in  the  same  expense  he  would  incur  by  shipment  to  the  next 
western  basic  point. 

Bridge  Monoply.  The  above  condition  is  coupled  in  the  minds  of 
residents  of  this  district  with  the  alleged  fact  that  the  St.  Louis  and 
East  St.  Louis  terminals  are  managed  by  a  monopoly  or  combination 
of  the  thirteen  or  more  leading  railroads  which  enter  the  city.  As 
these  railroads  under  the  name  of  the  Terminal  Railroad  Association 
of  St.  Louis  own  and  control  the  Eads  bridge  and  are  being  asked  by 
the  U.  S.  Government  to  disprove  ownership  of  the  Merchant's  bridge, 
and  further,  as  these  are  the  only  two  bridges  across  the  Mississippi 
river  at  this  point,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  conditions  seem  to  operate 
to  a  certain  extent  to  restrain  trade  from  crossing  the  river. 

Public  opinion  in  regard  to  the  situation  has  been  adverse  to  the 
railroads,  and  the  St.  Louis  representatives  in  Congress  secured  the 
passage  in  June,  1905,  of  the  Hunt  bill,  which  authorizes  the  city  of 
St.  Louis  to  construct  a  so-called  free  bridge  across  the  Mississippi, 
which  can  be  used  without  the  payment  of  a  toll,  as  at  present,  or  the 
payment  of  an  additional  fare  on  street  cars. 

Transportation  rates  across  the  Mississippi.  The  actual  working  of 
the  transportation  system  as  at  present  organized  means*  that  every 
loaded  car  crossing  either  the  Ead  or  the  Merchants'  bridge  into  St. 
Louis  pays  a  to-1  of  $5.00,  for  every  ton  of  coal  burned  in  St.  Louis 
costs  the  user  30  cents  more  than  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  this 
amount  being  the  toll  on  every  ton  of  coal  passing  over  the  bridges. 
The  word  "toll"  as  used  above  is  the  designation  of  the  citizens  of 
this  city ;  the  railroad  people  call  it  freight — the  ordinary  cost  of  ship- 
ment beyond  a  basic  point. 

Coming  still  closer  to  the  problem  of  the  manufacturer  it  is  seen 
that  where,  as  in  one  instance,  400  to  450  tons  of  coal  are  consumed 
daily  by  a  single  manufacturing  firm,  the  extra  cost  per  day,  were  the 
plant  located  in  St.  Louis,  would  be  $120.00  or  more,  or  an  excess  of 
$30,000  per  annum  on  coal  alone.  The  iron  and  steel  works  get  their 
raw  materials  from  the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  and  coal  .is  mined 
almost  within  sight  of  these  works.  Furthermore,  a  part  of  the 
manufactured  product,  sometimes  the  larger  part,  is  marketed  in  the 
eastern  or  middle  states,  and  a  location  in  St.  Louis  would  mean  the 
payment  of  large  sums  on  both  the  raw  and  the  refined  products. 
Fven  when,  as  in  one  or  two  instances,  the  greater  part  of  the  manu- 
factured  product  is   shipped    to    western    points,  the   saving  on  the 


D  WATER    EESOUECES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

difference  in  weight  of  the  crude  and  the  refined  product,  plus  the 
saving  on  coal,  tends  to  keep  the  manufacturer  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river. 

Land  values  and  business  facilities.  Manufacturing  interests  assert 
that  it  is  this  condition  relative  to  transportation  that  has  resulted  in 
their  centralization  at  East  St.  Louis.  The  lower  cost  of  land  on  the 
more  thinly  populated  flood-plain  of  the  Mississippi  has  been  a  favor- 
able but  not  a  determining  condition.  Location  near  a  great  city  has 
resulted  in  the  easy  acquisition  of  ordinary  business  facilities — the 
telephone,  telegraph,  newspapers,  etc.  Through  the  enterprise  of 
manufacturers  and  other  citizens,  well  built  towns  have  grown  up 
rapidly,  so  that,  for  the  most  part,  workmen  live  near  their  work. 

As  previously  pointed  out,  the  site  is  not  ideal,  involving  as  it  does, 
damage  from  flood  and  insecure  foundations.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
ordinary  business  growth  that  is  exemplified  in  East  St.  Louis.  It' is 
distinctly  a  growth  dependent  on  a  combination  of  economic  and  physi- 
cal conditions,  operating  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the  Mississippi 
a  barrier  to.  manufacturing  interests,  holding  them  on  the  east  side, 
which,  economically  considered,  is  the  better,  but,  physically  consid- 
ered, is  decidedly  the  poorer. 

Finding  himself  in  this  location,  the  manufacturer  turns  to  the  less 
favorable  conditions  and  seeks  to  ameliorate  them.  One  of  the  first 
of  these  is  that  of  water  supply,  to  which  this  report  is  devoted. 

The  hydrographic  features  of  the  region  will  be  more  readily  under- 
stood from  a  brief  study  of  the  physiographic  and  geologic  features. 

The  manufacturer  is  not  the  only  one  to  whom  the  subject  of  water 
supply  is  of  interest.  Towns  and  villages,  oftentimes  quarrymen, 
farmers  and  bottling  concerns  are  affected  by  water  conditions,  and 
some  of  our  recommendations  may  be  of  service  to  municipal  authori- 
ties seeking  to  improve  either  the  amount  or  quality  of  municipal  sup- 
plies. 


TOPOGRAPHIC  FEATURES. 

(By  Isaiah  Bowman.) 

Topographic  subdivisions.  The  control  which  topographic  fea- 
tures exercise  over  the  disposition  of  both  surface  and  ground  water 
is  often  immediate  and  dominating.  In  the  East  St.  Louis  district 
the  influence  of  topography  is  emphasized  by  the  sharp  topographic 
contrasts  displayed  between  the  eastern  and  the  western  sections  of  the 
area.  That  part  of  the  district  which  adjoins  the  Mississippi  river  and 
which  lies  at  an  altitude  above  mean  sea  level  of  about  400-420  feet, 
is  known  as  the  flood  plain  of  the  Mississippi  and  is  referred  to  in  the 
reports  and  on  maps  of  the  Mississippi  River  Commisson  as  a  part  of 
the  "Upper  Alluvial  Valley  of  the  Mississippi."  The  eastern  part  of  our 
district  will  be  referred  to  as  the  upland  portion  in  contrast  to  the  low- 
land portion  or  the  flood  plain.  The  boundary  between  the  two  por- 
tions is  constituted  by  what  are  known  as  the  upland  bluffs — the  west- 
ward-facing escarpment  which  runs  irregularly  across  the  area, 
roughly  from  north  to  south,  as  shown  in  Plate  4. 


bowman.]  TOPOGEAPHIC   FEATURES. 


The  Mississippi  Flood  Plain. 


Origin  and  development.  .  The  topographic  and  drainage  features 
of  the  lowland  portion  of  this  district  may  be  best  described  in  terms 
of  the  origin  or  genesis  of  the  flood  plain.  Any  meandering  stream  is 
at  once  a  constructive  and  a  destructive  agent.  In  swinging  from  side 
to  side  the  current  of  the  stream  increases  the  size  of  the  curves  and 
these  impinging  on  the  valley  sides  increase  the  width  of  the  valley. 
As  a  consequence  the  valley  grows  constantly,  and  the  marks  by  which 
such  growth  is  attained  are  often  very  clearly  shown  in  the  form  of 
sharp  notches  in  the  upland  bluff,  as  viewed  in  plan,  the  notches  repre- 
senting meander  embayments  exactly  similar  in  mode  of  origin  to 
meander  embayments  now  actively  occupied  by  the  river.  Such  notches 
may  be  seen  one  mile  southwest  of  French  Village,  one  mile  south  of 
Centerville  and  one  miles  north  of  Imbs.  The  last  named  one  is  the 
largest  and  produces  a  jog  of  several  miles  in  the  upland  bluffs  between 
Stolle  and  Centerville.  In  the  East  St.  Louis  district  the  Mississippi  is 
nowhere,  except  at  Alton,  actively  working  on  the  upland  bluffs  of 
Ilinois,  its  activities  in  this  direction  being  confined  almost  exclusively 
to  the  western  bluffs  above  and  below  St.  Louis. 

The  broader  outlines  of  the  upland  bluffs  which  limit  the  flood  plain 
on  the  east,  and  which  play  so  important  a  role  in  the  acquisition  of 
water  in  this  region,  are  therefore  to  be  considered  as  a  function  of 
river  action  plus  the  resistance  of  the  rock  to  stream  erosion.  As  will 
be  shown  in  later  paragraphs,  the  details  of  form  exhibited  by  this 
bluff  enter  very  significantly  into  certain  problems  of  water  supply. 
These  details  may  be  understood  from  the  fact  that  other  agents  than 
the  river  are  at  work  to  modify  the  outlines  of  the  escarpment.  The 
wash  of  the  rains,  the  tiny  streams  which  drain  the  edge  of  the  upland, 
changes  in  temperature,  the  roots  of  grasses  and  trees,  all  combined 
with  that  insistent  force  called  gravity  tend  to  the  reduction  of  such 
steep  forms  as  a  river-cut  bluff.  No  sooner  then  has  the  river  ceased  to 
trim  and  steepen  the  sides  of  its  valley,  than  the  sharp  outlines  of  the 
bluff  become  fainter,  more  rapidly  where  the  material  is  friable,  as 
sand,  gravel  or  loess,  less  rapidly  where  it  is  hard,  as  compact  sandstone 
or  limestone,  etc.  Thus  from  Alton  southeastward  and  southwafd  as 
far  as  Prairie  du  Pont  the  upland  bluff  has  been  well  dissected  because 
the  material  slumps  down  quickly,  tons  of  the  loess  and  sand  and  clay 
being  transported  toward  the  flood  plain  during  every  rain  storm.  The 
effect  of  this  dissection  is  seen  further  in  the  alternation  of  the  sprawl- 
ing spurs  and  the  huge  a'luvial  fans  which  terminate  the  upland  valleys 
along  the  line  of  the  bluff.  Since  the  river  has  withdrawn  itself  from 
the  eastern  bluffs  to  its  present  position,  the  tributaries  on  this  side 
have  all  been  lengthened  accordingly.  The  abrupt  change  in  grade 
from  the  steepened  upland  portion  to  the  almost  flat  lowland  portioia 
has  resulted  in  the  deposition  of  the  long  and  flat  alluvial  fans  which 
the  streams  overflow  in  high  water  during  the  wet  season  or  after 
heavy  rains  in  any  season ;  or  dissect  during  low  water,  the  streams  in 
some  cases  running  in  narrow  and  deep  trenches  through  the  fans  they 
themselves  have  built.  A  corresponding  diversity  in  the  occurrence  and 
amount  of  ground  supplies  is  noted  on  later  pages. 


8  WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

In  places  where  harder  rock  constitutes  the  bluff  its  form  as  a  pro- 
duct of  river  trimming  has  suffered  slight  changes  since  abandonment 
by  the  river.  From  Stolle  south  to  the  limit  of  the  district  a  line  of 
almost  vertical  bluffs  exhibit,  as  shown  in  Plate  4,  a  sharp  contrast  to 
the  part  just  described.  A  talus  from  30  to  50  feet  in  height  borders 
the  foot  of  the  bluff,  but  above  this  the  bluff  is  sheer  with  outcropping 
ledges  of  limestone  capped  by  a  sheet  of  loess  varying  in  thickness  from 
several  inches  to  15  or  20  feet.  At  intervals  where  tiny  catchment  areas 
occur  in  the  upland  back  of  the  bluff,  hills  have  cut  true  gorges  in  the 
loess,  which  frequently  erodes  with  vertical  face.  In  the  development 
of  curves  in  a  river  with  an  irregular  course,  the  radius  of  curvature 
in  a  given  instance  decreases  steadily  as  the  curve  becomes  sharper, 
until  a  point  is  reached  where  a  true  meander  is  developed,  and  from 
then  on  any  further  change  is  marked  by  an  increase  in  the  radius  of 
curvature  *  until  a  cut-off  occurs  and  the  meander  is  abandoned  by 
the  river.  The  process  of  meander  development  as  described  has  the 
further  accompaniment  of  a  bodily  movement  of  the  curve  down  stream. 
In  this  way  the  meander  exercises  a  planing  action  when  it  is  developed 
in  contact  with  a  bluff  and  trims  off  the  bluff  continuously  until  a  cut-off 
intervenes.  It  is  this  feature  of  planing  by  downstream  movement  of 
the  meander,  as  well  as  the  lateral  increase  of  the  meander,  that  give 
such  notches  as  occur  north  of  Stolle,  and  elsewhere,  their  distinctive 
character. 

The  material  disloged  by  the  outward  and  downward  development 
of  the  meander  is  in  part  carried  to  the  sea  and  in  part  temporarily  re- 
deposited  on  the  flood  plain.  This  process  of  excavation  and  redeposi- 
tion  is  known  as  "cut  and  fill,"  and  to  its  present  activity  in  this  section 
may  be  ascribed  one  of  the  most  serious  difficulties  encountered  in  the 
attempt  to  utilize  river  water. 

It  follows  from  the  behavior  of  a  river  that  no  flood  plain  will  be 
perfectly  smooth,  but  that  there  will  be  slight  irregularities  in  cuts  and 
fills  due  to  the  varying  regime  of  the  river.  Here  and  there  will  occur 
bayous  or  cut-off  lakes  whose  outlines,  although  partly  modified  since 
formation,  will  still  reflect  the  curve  of  the  meander  of  which  they  were 
once  a  part.  Inborne  sediments  will  accumulate,  the  bayou  will  be  par- 
tially silted  up  and  marshy  tracts  with  curved  outlines  may  take  the 
place  of  standing  water.  The  minor  irregularities  of  the  flood  plain 
are  very  clearly  exhibited  in  many  of  the  maps  published  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  Commission.  (See  sheets  Nos.  115,  116,  117,,  detail  map 
of  the  upper  Mississippi  river.  Scale,  1 :20,00c  Contour  interval  3  ft.) 
The  larger  features  of  the  bluff  and  bayou  appear  in  Plate  4.  The  ir- 
regular action  of  the  river  are  treated  in  the  discussion  of  the  geological 
features  of  the  district. 


*Isaiah  Bowman,  Deflection  of  the  Mississippi,  Science,  N.  S.,  Vol.  XX,  No.  504,  August  26 
1904;  pp.  273-277. 

tChamberlin  and  Salisbury,  Geology,  Vol  I,  1904;  p.  183, 


bowman.]  TOPOGEAPHIO   FEATURES.  V 

UPLAND  DISTRICT. 

Characteristic  features.  That  part  of  the  upland  included  in  the 
East  St.  Louis  district  lies  so  near  the  lowland  bordering  the  Missis- 
sippi that  it  is  much  more  fully  dissected  and  therefore  uneven  than 
more  central  portions  of  the  State.  The  process  of  dissection  has, 
however,  not  been  carried  to  the  point  of  maturity — that  is  to  the 
point  where  the  maximum  of  slope  has  been  produced — as  is  shown 
by  the  flat  and  still  undissected  patches  of  upland  which  occur  two  miles 
south  of  Caseyville,  one  mile  northeast  of  Belleville,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  'O'Fallon  and  elsewhere.  The  last  named  example  well  illustrates 
the  encroachment  on  still  undissected  portions  of  the  upland  of  active 
and  steep-sided  ravines  tributary  to  the .  larger  drainage  lines.  The 
quality  of  steepness  in  minor  slopes  is  quite  commonly  emphasized  in 
this  district  by  the  weathering  habit  of  the  loess;  and  to  this  quality 
may  be  attributed  the  conservation  of  a  larger  portion  of  the  rainfall 
as  ground  water  than  where  the  material  consists  of  ordinary  loose 
sand  and  gravel.  For  while  the  run-off  is  more  rapid  on  the  steeper 
slope,  this  effect  is  more  than  counteracted  by  the  larger  proportion  of 
level  land,  both  on  the  undissected  portions  and  in  the  flat  bottomed 
valleys.  As  a  consequence  successful  wells  may  be  located  nearer  the 
edge  of  the  ravine  bluffs  and  the  streams  than  otherwise. 

General  effect  on  ground  water.  This  may  appear  more  clearly 
from  the  consideration  that  the  surface  of  the  ground  water  or  the 
water  table,  follows  the  trend  and  direction  of  the  surface  drainage; 
that  the  slope  of  the  water  table  is  essentially  similar  to  the  slope  of 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  differing  from  the  latter  principally  in  being 
less  steep. 

The  similarity  of  the  contours  of  the  water  table  to  those  of  the 
land  surface  enables  one  to  sketch  approximately  the  lines  of  under- 
ground seepage  from  a  contour  map  of  the  surface. 

No  fact  points  more  clearly  than  this  to  the  necessity  of  a  thorough 
understanding  of  topographic  conditions  in  arriving  at  an  understand- 
ing of  the  occurrence,  movement,  etc.,  of  ground  water  supplies. 

Valley  development  on  margin  in  relation  to  reservoir  sites.  A  fea- 
ture of  slope  arrangement  in  the  East  St.  Louis  district  which  lends 
considerable  interest  to  this  view  of  the  case  is  displayed  along  the 
upland  bluff.  In  the  process  of  valley  widening  as  dependent  upon  the 
development  of  the  meanders  of  the  Mississippi,  many  minor  tributaries 
were  gradually  shortened  in  an  up-stream  direction  until  at  last  the 
stream  was  in  some  cases  betrunked,  and  the  little  individual  headwater 
tributaries  are  now  almost,  if  not  quite,  isolated.  Such  a  case  is  ex- 
hibited east  of  Centerville  at  the  point  where  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R. 
ascends  the  upland  bluff.  The  same  feature  is  recognized  at  Casey- 
ville and  above  Alton  Junction. 

In  such  cases  the  grades  of  these  headwater  sections  are  of  course 
steepened  to  correspond  to  the  lower  level  enforced  by  the  master 
stream.     This  is  accomplished  by  the  excavation  of  large  amounts  of 


*Chas.  S.  Slictiter,    '  'The  Motions  of  Underground  Waters."    Water  Supply  nnd  Irr.    P;iper 
No.  67.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1902;  p.  32. 
tlbid,  p.  33. 


10  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

material  near  the  point  where  the  tributary  debouches  on  the  flood- 
plain  ;  such  material  being  in  part  accumulated  in  the  form  of  an 
alluvial  fan  stretching  forward  from  the  bluff.  To  the  eye  of  the 
engineer  the  mouth  of  the  deepened  tributary,  with  its  converging 
drainage  lines,  offers  a  most  desirable  focus  for  a  dam  site  and  reser- 
voir (as  shown  in  Fig.  A,  Plate  2.),  and  if  the  water  shed  can  be  ade- 
quately protected  from  impurities  and  no  legal  difficulties  are  interposed 
by  residents,  these  localities,  or  similar  ones,  are  frequently  chosen.  The 
advantages  of  such  a  location  include  easy  delivery  of  the,  water  to 
towns  on  the  floodplain  at  much  lower  elevation  and  a  head  great 
enough  to  guarantee  one  of  the  most  vital  elements  in  fire  protection. 
It  is  not  believed  that  this  resource  is  generally  appreciated,  and  inas- 
much as  conditions  identical  to  the  above  are  exhibited  in  many  sec- 
tions of  the  State  (As  along  the  Illinois  river  for  example.  See  the 
topographic  sheets,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  Desplaines,  Dunlap,  Hennepin 
and  Lacon)  it  seems  desirable  to  emphasize  it  at  this  point. 

Further  consequences  of  the  quick  descent  of  the  upland  to  the  low- 
land and  the  pattern  of  the  drainage  are  discussed  on  later  pages.  The 
matter  assumes  a  high  value  in  this  district  because  wagon  roads  and 
railroads  seek  the  drainage  lines  as  the  easiest  means  of  descent  to  the 
floodplain,  and  this  confluence  of  routes  at  the  debouchure  of  the 
principal  valleys  has  determined  the  sites  of  many  villages  just  under 
the  bluff.  Peters,  Caseyville  and  French  Village  may  be  cited  as  ex- 
amples. Whenever  population  is  concentrated,  even  if  only  to  a  limited 
extent,  as  in  the  small  towns  named,  problems  of  sewage  disposal  and 
water  supply  have  at  once  a  more  or  less  vital  interest. 

FEATURES  OF  THE  KARST. 

Sink  holes  and  caves.  A  section  of  the  upland  which  is  of  more 
special  interest  than  any  other  part  lies  on  the  southern  margin  of  the 
district  and  includes  the  area  between  the  upland  bluff  south  of  Stolle 
and  the  westermost  tributary  of  Hickman's  creek,  in  turn  a  tributary 
of  Prairie  du  Pont.  The  St.  Louis  limestone  appears  here  at  a  higher 
level  than  further  south,  and  has  been  extensively  dissolved  out  by  the 
action  of  ground  water.  This  action,  for  limestone  regions  in  general, 
and  the  evolution  of  the  topographic  forms  to  which  it  gives  rise,  have 
been  well  described  by  Penck.*  The  phrase  "karst  topography"  is  com- 
monly used  to  designate  it,  following  the  usage  in  the  Adriatic  pro- 
vinces of  Austria,  where  the  feature  is  well  developed — the  name  being 
derived  from  the  Karst  mountains  of  that  vicinity. 

The  most  striking  characteristics  of  the  district  are  the  entire  absence 
of  trunk  drainage  at  the  surface,  and  the  extensive  development  of  sink 
holes.  The  general  appearance  of  the  surface  is  shown  in  Fig.  B, 
Plate  1.  Rainfall  is  concentrated  in  tiny  channels  which  converge 
toward  the  center  of  the  sink  where  the  waters  escape  through  cracks 


*Albrecht  Penck*    Uber    das    Kartsphanomen.    Vortrage  des  Vereines  zur  Verbreitung 
naturwissenschaf  tlicher  Kenntnisse  in  Wein  XLIV,  Jahrgang,  Heft  1,   1903. 


ILLINOIS  GEOLOGICAL,  SURVEY. 


Bull.  No.  5,  Plate  1. 


A.    Imponded  headwater  drainage  showing  dam  and  reservoir  one  and  one-half  miles 

south  of  Sparta. 


B.    General  view  of  Karst  topography  four  miles  south  of  Stolle,  showing  numerous  sink 
holes  and  absence  of  trunk  drainage  at  the  surface. 


'  Received         v 

ILLINOIS  GEOLOGICAL 

SURVEY  LIBRARY 


BOWMANl  TOPOGRAPHIC    FEATURES. 


11 


and  funnels  in  the  limestone  below     Occasions "Iv  rt,»  r      . 
crops  on  the  side  of  the  sink   hut  W  ,,yccasl°na'Iy  the  hmstone  out- 
posed  of  the  loess  which  overlies  the  rnrk    T,  Part  *e  skles  are  c°m" 
down  to  the  exits     I   theTame  rate  oft'         ^f  W'th  a"  even  g™d*  ' 
exceeds  the  rate  of  supply   Z  bottom  of  Ttf  °f  ^  accumulated  water 
sink  may  be  without  bottom    slnnin  ^  ^  Small>  indeed  the 

continuation;  but  if  the  rate  of  unnl?  gradua"y  dow«  t°  the  funnel 
water  accumulates  ^ToUo^A^  »o^%?  ^T'  ^ 
dependence  of  adioinine-  sink  fi^w  ">  lu  ,  P  '  The  surface  m- 
slopes  is  quite  cZSdt  shown  bv  It^T  t  infe^io"  of 
level  in  two  adjacent  sink  holef  n£  I  eons.derable  difference  of 
lateral  distance  of  i«  to  L  feet  **  "^  "*  2°  feet  in  a 

diffelronSl^rs^et7mTteek  ^  "**  ab°Ve  with  that  of 
draining  a  sink  hole  L^end™  mg tSSSffi"^2  *  ?*  ^  * 
holes,  the  one  in  the  foreground  Lw  1  /uate2  shows  two  sink 

The  outlet  of  the  one  bfth mid    e^ °t        ^  ^'"^  a  ^0od  outlet- 
standing  water  results .     B     con  tructinf^fi  has  J^me  choked  and 
the  common  rim  of  the  two  the  un^  ™f      ^      '  ^?P  trench  through 
the  feature  of  stan&wSaXi18   S^  m,t0  the  lower  and 
too  steep  to  be  cultiyallHnd  m  surf, ral     hrefm^  the  slopes  are 
the  sink,  and  trees  and  bushes  ar 1    ?  "°  effort  ls  made  to  drain 
to»,  giving  the  l*n&£?£&$^^*^  a«d  bat- 
An  occurrence  of  stoppage  in  a  sink  fnnntl   *.?     P        T  aPPearance. 
suggestiyeness  in  this  connexion  toolnJ?        '    ^  U-nUS,UaI  lnterest  and 
of  Florida,  near  the  city  o '  Orlan^  ^S^  y '"  ^  ^  distriCt 
ranean  outlet  of  a  sink  hole  became  ^n3     ™     y6?rS  a^°  the  subter- 
boring  lakes  had  discharged  iSSte^f "  a  dozen  "e>^- 
now  overflowed,  forming  a  ereaf V£      u-  I      d  thelr  pent"uP  waters 
acres  of  the  surrounding  lower  land   dv^1*  eventua"y  eovered  250 
homes  and  covering  g^deT Ind"  cu£tef  S  ^f  ^  ** 
which  the  outlet  passage  became  cloo-3 I  ; ,        I        7he  man"er  in 
may  have  been  from  a  cavern  of  thf  In      "^  °f  c°nJect«re.    It 

of  water  hyacinths  which  formerty  fi5  d"he  sink  Ma""  aCCUmulati°« 
made  to  open  the  na^ov*     k     i         •         ,snk*    Many  attempts  were 

Pfoding  dyLmite^^gVc'o&Ibri:  "f  °?  °f  ^  ^  ex! 
At  last  the  idea  occurred  of  m^wfn.'  ^^  but  ^.thout  relief, 
of  a  well.  A  two  inch  hole  was  first  7-1°^"!,^  by  the  instruction 
escaped  easily  and  rapidly  then  an  ei^^^^11  wWch  the  water 
from  these  two  all  the    c^lL      eight-inch  hole  was  drilled,  and 

Combinations  of  nor^Z^KaZTl  ^^  6SCaPed* 
topography  which' oceTs   „7he  fnt  re  ZTgfll^  ^  -^"^ 
on  the  borders  of  the  cint  T^i  f         ,  bt  Louis  dlstnct,  is  found 

feature,  of  both  ol,sse»?a„d  tS  £ ,  tkJ? oofS"8  ""  ch"'M«*» 


l47-l«heScientiflc  A™™-.  «™tedbv  the  Literary  Digest,  vol.83.  No.  5, 


Aug.    4,    1906:   pp. 


12 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST   ST.    LOUIS. 


Lbtjll   6 


tendency  toward  the  formation  of  sinks,  the  stream  valleys  have  an 
abnormal  profile.  The  val'ey  sides  steepen  continuously  to  a  maximum 
at  the  valley  bottom  instead  of  having  the  smooth  outline  of  the  reversed 
curve.  The  general  appearance  of  such  a  valley  strongly  suggests  the 
idea  that  the  valley  bottom  has  sunk  somewhat,  in  readjustment  to 
the  changes  taking  place  in  the  dissolving  limestone,  but  that  the 
sinking  has  not  been  sufficiently  rapid  to  break  up  the  continuity  of 
the  surface  drainage.  Examples  of  this  feature  may  be  seen  in  several 
places,  particularly  about  one  mile  north  of  Wartburg  beyond  the 
southern  margin  of  the  map,  Plate  4.  In, some  cases  the  two  tendencies 
are  more  evenly  balanced,  and  while  the  country  is  distinctly  broken  up 
into  sinks  in  response  to  sub-surface  changes,  the  sinks  drain  into 
each  other,  the  lip  of  each  higher  one  being  cut  slightly  by  water  spill- 
ing over  into  the  next  lower  one.  There  is  thus  established  a  certain 
interdependence  between  neighboring  sinks  in  spite  of  the  strong  ex- 
pression of  the  Karst. 

•  The  combination  of  normal  and  Karst  topography  is  sometimes  ex- 
pressed in  the  form  shown  in  Plate  2.     A  stream  valley  or  ordinary 

appearance  may  be  formed  in  sandstone  or 
in  limestone  not  subject  to  the  d:ssolving 
action  of  water.  But  if  its  course  is  toward 
a  limestone  district  in  which  the  sirk  fea- 
ture is  developed  the  valley  may  terminate 
sharply  in  a  sink.  Figure  I  shows  a  case 
several  miles  south  of  Burksville  Station, 
111.  The  four  openings  by  which  the  water 
escaped  to  underground  passages  are  shown 
in  the  sketch.  These  openings  are  from  one 
to  two  and  a  half  feet  across  and  are  about 
seven  feet  below  the  floodplain.  One  fea- 
ture of  the  openings  shown  in  the  figure  is 
of  especial  interest.  They  do  not  lead  ver- 
tically downard,  but,  developed  along  the 
.  '   .       joint   and   bedding   planes,    drop   by   short 

Pig.  1    Expressing  combination    J ,  ,       1  j    1  1         i  ,m    ,i 

of  Karst  and  normal  topography  steps  to  lower  and  lower  levels  until  the 
^^^SSS^55^S£S  level  of  the  ground  water  is  reached,  when 
tract  of  Chester  sandstone  and  dis-  the  inflowing:  water  partakes  of  the  general 

appears  in  a  sink-hole  as  soon  asit    ,       ■  &  f    t  ,        ° 

reaches  the  karsted  St.  Louis  lime-  lateral  movement  of  the  ground  water  in 
stone'  underground  passages  in  the  limestone. 

Perhaps  nowhere  else  in  Illinois  are  the  surface  drainage  and  water 
conditions  so  peculiar  as  in  this  section,  and  certain  recommendations 
on  pages  54-55  can  be  understood  only  if  the  special  nature  of  the  con- 
ditions are  kept  in  the  foreground. 


ILLINOIS  GFOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 


Bull.  No.  5,  Plate  2. 


Artificial  drainage  of  higher  obstructed  sink-hole  into  lower,  having  good  underground 
connection.    One  mile  east  of  Falling  Springs. 


bowman.]  DRAINAGE    CONDITIONS.  IB 

HYDROGRAPHIC  FEATURES. 

(By  Chester  A.  Reeds.) 

(Compiled  from  various  sources,  chiefly  from  the  paper  hy  Helm,  noted  below.) 

General. 

Streams  in  arid  and  humid  climates  compared.  As  any  accurate  map 
of  the  truly  arid  sections  of  the  west  wilt  show,  the  streams  in  desert 
climates  do  not  run  to  the  sea  in  surface  channels.  And  if  the  ground 
water  of  such  a  region  reaches  the  sea  it  is  by  seepage  far  below  the 
surface.  In  such  cases  the  streams  end  abruptly  in  long  waste  fans 
slopes  built  of  loose  and  highly  porous  materials.  On  the  other 
hand,  regions  such  as  the  one  in  which  the  East  St.  Louis  district  lies 
are  generally  thought  to  be  of  quite  different  habit,  i.  e.  as  reaching 
some  master  stream,  like  the  Mississippi,  by  means  of  well-defined 
channels  on  the  surface. 

It  is  therefore  with  some  surprise  that  one  views  the  drainage  re- 
lations of  the  streams  tributary  to  the  Mississippi  river  in  this  district, 
and  sees  that  in  some  respects  the  streams  of  the  region  imitate  those 
of  an  arid  section.  This  fact  and  its  fundamental  relation  to  the  water 
resources  of  a  floodplain,  together  with  other  facts,  are  of  the  greatest 
importance,  and  the  details  of  the  drainage  problem,  therefore,  will  be 
first  considered. 

Classification  of  drainage  system.  Following  Helm's*  classification, 
the  hydrographic  features  of  the  upland  and  the  floodplain  of  the 
Mississippi  will  be  decribed  under  the  Wood  river,  Cahokia  and 
Priaries  du  Pont  drainage  systems.  In  addition  to  these  three  drain- 
age systems  there  is  the  Mississippi  itself  as  well  as  two  creeks  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  district  known  as  Silver  creek  and  Richland  creek, 
both  tributaries  of  the  Kaskaskia. 

Description  of  Drainage  Systems, 
wood  RIVF^ 

This  system  drains  the  extreme  northern  portion  of  the  district. 
It  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  two  branches,  the  East  and  West 
Fork,  which  unite  to  form  Wood  river,  at  the  western  margin  of  the 
upland,  then  flow  southward  about  three  miles  to  the  Mississippi  river. 
The  two  forks  have  their  sources  in  the  southern  part  of  Macoupin 
county,  about  sixteen  miles  above  its  mouth.  The  stream  has  a  drain- 
age area  in  the  upland  of  approximately  117  square  miles  and  in  the 
floodplain  of  3  square  miles,  and  has  a  maximum  discharge  of  about 
2,900  cubic  feet  per  second. 

Upland  section.  The  datum  plane  used  in  the  following  descriptions 
will  be  the  low  water  mark  or  zero  of  the  Mississippi  river  guage  in  the 
city  of  St.  Louis,  and  all  elevations  given  are  in  accordance  with  that 
datum.  The  streams  in  the  upland  have  comparatively  steep  gradients, 
being  200  to  250 ,  feet  above  the  level  floodplain  of  the  Mississippi. 


*E.  G.  Helm,  "The  Levee  and  Drainage  Prohlems  of  the  American  Bottoms."    Jour. 
Assoc.  Eng.  Soc,  Vol.  XXXV,   No    3,  Reptemher,   1905,  pp.  99-116. 


14  WATEE   EESOUECES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

They  derive  their  water  from  the  ground  water  and  from  rainfall. 
In  the  rainy  seasons  the  floods  gash  the  slopes,  tearing  away  many 
cubic  feet  of  earth. 

When  these  immense  volumes  of  water  reach  the  level  floodplain 
their  velocity  is  checked,  for  here  the  same  streams  have  no  steep  grad- 
ients or  broad  channels  to  carry  off  the  surplus.  As  a  consequence, 
much  of  the  sediment  in  these  streams  is  deposited  in  delta  or  fanlike 
forms  at  the  foot  of  the  bluffs,  and  the  water  gradually  inundates  the 
surrounding  country. 

Flood-plain  section.  That  part  of  the  channel  of  Wood  river  which 
lies  in  the  flood-plain  is  entirely  west  of  the  Big  Four  railroad,  and  in 
freshets  its  flood  waters  are  here  confined.  On  June  29,  1902,  the  water 
from  this  stream  was  six  to  eight  feet  deep  in  the  streets  of  East  Alton, 
having  washed  out  the  tracks  of  the  Big  Four  railroad,  and  overflowed 
that  part  of  the  flood-plain  just  to  the  east  as  far  south  as  Edwardsville 
Crossing,  where  it  was  stopped  by  the  embankments  of  the  Illinois 
Terminal  railway  (except  what  passed  through  a  T2-inch  or  15-inch 
pipe).  This  happened  a  few  times  before,  but  with  less  extreme 
height.  Generally  speaking,  Wood  river  may  be  considered  as  having 
no  effect  on  the  flood-plain,  except  on  that  portion  contained  in  its  own- 
drainage  area  west  of  the  Big  Four,  about  three  miles  of  terri- 
tory. The  water  in  the  lower  course  of  the  stream  is  always  muddy. 
Through  the  first  mile  after  entering  the  flood-plain  it  flows  over,  a 
limestone  bottom  which  holds  up  the  grade  nearly  ten  feet  higher  than 
that  of  other  streams  having  earth  bottoms.  When  the  rock  bottom  is 
passed,  however,  the  water  rapidly  falls  the  distance  of  ten  feet  and 
enters  the  Mississippi  river  at  the  level  of  low-water  mark  at  that  point. 
Thus,  since  the  waters  of  this  stream  are  not  checked  by  a  low  gradient 
and  a  long  tortous  course  across  the  flood-plain,  they  run  off  readily 
and  are  not  so  troublesome  as  the  other  streams. 

CAHOKIA  CREEK. 

Upland  section.  The  Cahokia  creek  system  drains  over  half  the 
area  of  the  flood-plain,  or,  as  has  been  said,  all  that  portion  north  of 
the  Vandalia  railroad  and  east  of  the  Big  Four  railroad.  The  stream 
has  its  source  in  the  vicinity  of  Litchfield,  Montgomery  county,  flows 
in  a  general  southwesterly  direction,  entering  the  flood-plain  about 
twelve  miles  north  of  the  south  line  of  Madison  county,  nearly  35  miles 
south  of  its  source.  On  the  upland  it  drains  an  area  of  228  square 
miles ;  at  the  point  of  entering  the  bottoms  it  is  joined  by  Indian  creek, 
a  tributary  with  a  drainage  area  of  about  38  square  miles ;  hence  it  may 
be  said  that  Cahokia  creek  enters  the  bottoms  with  a  drainage  area 
behind  it  of  226  square  miles  and  a  discharge  of  about  5,040  cubic  feet 
per  second.  This  area  is  more  than  double  that  of  the  entire  flood- 
plain  section  drained  by  this  system. 

Flood-plain  section.  After  entering  the  flood-plain,  Cahokia  creek 
flows  nearly  south  to  about  Madison-St.  Clair  county  line,  then  nearly 
west,  passing  through  the  city  of  East  St.  Louis  and  emptying  into  the 
river  near  the   southern  limits  of  that  city.     In  a  straight  line   the 


bowman]  HYDEOGEAPHIO  FEATUEES.  15 

length  of  the  creek  in  the  flood-plain  is  approximately  20  miles,  but 
owing  to  its  meandering  course,  the  actual  length  is  probably  40  or  50 
per  cent  greater.  Along  Cahokia  creek  where  its  enters  the  flood-plain 
the  average  height  of  the  surface  is  about  50.  In  the  course  of  two  and 
a  half  mile  the  bottoms  have  a  fall  of  three  feet  to  the  mile,  while  the 
creek  itself  has  a  uniform  fall  of  1.5  feet  to  the  mile,  or  three  times 
that  of  the  Mississippi.  The  bottom  lands  down  to  the  Madison-St. 
Clair  county  line  have  practically  the  same  average  fall,  their  elevation 
being  26  near  the  county  line.  Southward  from  Cahokia  creek,  how- 
ever, near  this  line,  the  entire  bottoms  from  the  bluffs  to  East  St.  Louis 
rise  rapidly.  Within  the  first  mile  they  have  an  average  elevation  of 
38,  or  fully  18  feet  higher  than  the  bottom  of  Horseshoe  lake,  which 
lies  to  the  north. 

Horseshoe  lake  acts  as  a  storage  reservoir  for  the  flood  waters  of 
Cahokia  creek,  and  thus  protects  East  St.  Louis  and  the  country  west 
of  it.  The  effects  of  a  heavy  rainfall  in  this  watershed  would  be  to 
cause  the  stream  to  overflow  its  banks  from  the  point  where  it  enters 
the  bottoms  down  to  East  St.  Louis.  As  it  is,  however,  the  flood  waters 
are  intercepted  at  Horseshoe  lake,  spread  out  over  it,  raising 
its  level,  and  then  gradually  flow  off  through  the  creek  to  the  river. 
Notable  examples  of  this  were  the  high  floods  of  June,  1902,  and  June, 
1904.  The  first  of  these  was  caused  by  a  heavy  rainfall  of  4.7  inches 
during  24  hours;  the  latter,  by  a  local  cloudburst  in  the  upper  water- 
shed of  the  creek.  The  height  of  these  two  floods  was  nearly  the  same ; 
that  of  1904  being  two  inches  higher  than  that  of  1902.  Along  the 
creek  the  waters  were  confined  within  narrow  bounds  of  the  naturally 
high  ground  and  a  few  small  local  levees,  till  about  due  east  of  Mitchell, 
where  they  passed  the  confines  that  had  thus  far  held  them  in.  They 
were  poured  out  over  the  entire  bottoms,  and  flowed  west,  north  and 
south,  augmented  somewhat  by  a  part  of  the  water  which  had  broken 
through  a  small  levee  near  Poag,  and  also  by  the  overflow  from  Indian 
creek.  They  practically  covered  about  two-fifths  of  the  entire  drainage 
area  of  Cahokia  creek  in  the  flood-plain,  or  about  38  square  miles. 
When  it  is  understood  that  a  large  portion  of  this  overflowed  land 
was  comparatively  high  and  had  not  been  covered  by  the  water  from 
the  river  since  1844,  the  seriousness  of  the  situation  may  be  appreciated. 
Land  owners  are  endeavoring  to  fix  the  blame  for  this  disaster  on  the 
various  railroads  crossing  the  floded  area,  and  thus  law  suits  aggregat- 
ing several  thousand  dollars  have  been  filed,  with  a  prospect  of  many 
more.  All  this  water  flowed  into  Horseshoe  lake  and  the  bottom  lands 
adjoining,  with  the  result  that  its  level  was  raised  about  six  feet,  or  to 
elevation  32,  as  the  lake  already  contained  about  six  feet  of  water  on 
account  of  the  height  of  the  river.  This  was  the  highest  point  ever 
reached  by  Horseshoe  lake.  From  this  increased  height  it  has  been 
calculated  that  the  amount  of  water  entering  this  lake  was  2,000,000,000 
cubic  feet,  or  a  little  less  than  half  that  falling  in  the  entire  watershed, 
showing  that  about  half  became  run-off. 

Horseshoe  lake  is  a  basin  comprising  about  3.5  square  miles.  Its 
bottom  is  practically  the  same  as  that  of  Cahokia  creek  at  the  southern 
end  of  the  lake,  or  elevation  20.     It  is  never  dry,  having  18  inches  to 


16  WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

two  feet  of  water  in  the  dryest  seasons.  This  is  because  its  bottom 
is  below  ground  water  level,  which  is  described  later.  This  lake  bed 
is  the  lowest  body  of  land  in  the  flood-plain.  The  flood  water  reaches 
it  not  only  through  Cahokia  creek,  but  also  through  Elm  slough. 

In  addition  to  the  water  of  Cahokia  creek  proper  and  of  Indian  creek, 
this  system  receives  the  water  of  the  Madison  county  ditch  which  drains 
Grassy  lake,  also  Judy's  branch,  School  House  branch,  Canteen  creek, 
Little  Caseyville  creek,  and  a  few  other  minor  drains  flowing  off  the 
bluff.  Canteen  and  Caseyville  creeks  issued  from  the  bluffs  just  about 
at  the  summit  of  the  divide  between  the  Cahokia  and  Priarie  du  Pont 
drainage  systems.  Owing  to  the  extreme  flatness  of  the  country  in 
this  vicinity  and  the  peculiar  locations  of  the  streams,  these  creeks 
often  flow  in  either  or  both  directions,  and  as  they  are  heavy  silt 
carriers,  their  deposits  have  changed  their  course  more  than  once.  At 
one  time  both  flowed  north,  but  now  all  of  Little  Canteen  creek,  with 
much  of  its  overflow,  is  going  south.  As  both  come  from  the  bluffs  be- 
tween the  Vandalia  and  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroads  and  have  filled  up 
the  land  between  these  two  roads,  and  at  the  bridges  crossing  the 
streams  to  a  depth  of  from  two  to  eight  feet,  they  have  furnished  the 
occasion  for  no  end  of  law  suits  and  contentions  between  the  land- 
owners and  these  railroads.  Although  the  creeks  flow  south  under  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio,  they  pass  into  Spring  Lake  and  then  back  under  the 
same  railway  again  near  East  St.  Louis  into  Cahokia  creek,  hence 
there  is  no  question  as  to  their  classification  with  the  Cahokia  system. 

PRAIRIE  DU  PONT  CREEK. 

Upland  section.  Prairie  du  Pont  creek  has  its  source  in  the  upland, 
or  rather  it  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  several  smaller  streams  which 
drain  about  42  square  miles  in  the  southwestern  part  of  St.  Clair 
county.  The  longest  of  these  tributaries  rises  ten  miles  from  the  foot 
of  the  bluff.  In  addition  to  Prairie  du  Pont  and  its  small  branches, 
Schoenberger  and  Brouilette  creeks,  respectively,  drain  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  upland  above  French  Village  and  Centerville.  The  total 
discharge  of  these  streams,  as  they  debouch  upon  the  flood-plain  is 
2,350  cubic  feet  per  second. 

Flood-plain  section.  The  point  where  Prairie  du  Pont  creek  enters 
the  flood-plain  is  eight  miles  south  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad, 
which  is  the  northern  boundary  of  the  area  that  drains  south  into  this 
creek.  From  this  point  the  creek  flows  westward,  approximately  three 
miles,  to  the  village  of  Prairie  du  Pont,  thence  southward  a  distance  of 
six  miles,  paralleling  to  the  Mississippi  before  entering  the  latter.  On 
reaching  the  flood-plain  Brouilette  creek  runs  into  Pittsburg  lake,  which 
in  high  stages  drains  southward  into  Prairie  du  Pont  creek.  In  times 
of  heavy  rains  Schoenberger  creek  fills  up  the  lowlands  and  issues  in 
both  directions — south  into  Pittsburg  Lake  and  north  into  Spring  Lake. 
The  dry  weather  flow,  however,  is  mostly  northward.  In  the  bottom 
it  has  no  well-defined  channel  and  changes  its  course  frequently. 

The  surface  elevations  of  the  Prairie  du  Pont  drainage  basin  are  not 
so  pronounced  as  those  of  Wood  river  and  Cahokia.     From  the  ridge 


bowman.]  HYDR0GRAPH1C  FEATURES.  17 

or  divide  near  the  Madison-St.  Clair  county  line  mentioned  above  the 
land  has  a  fairly  uniform  fall  of  one  foot  in  6,000  feet,  or  about  one- 
half  that  in  the  Cahokia  bottoms  of  Madison  county.  This  fall  con- 
tinues southward  to  Prairie  du  Pont  creek,  when  the  land  rises  in  less 
than  half  a  mile  to  an  elevation  nearly  as  great  as  that  just  south  of 
Cahokia  creek.  It  then  falls  gradually  to  the  south  as  far  as  Fish  Lake 
in  the  southern  end  of  St.  Clair  county. 

The  Cahokia  district  has  a  natural  drainage  channel,  the  creek  run- 
ning practically  through  its  entire  length,  while  the  Prairie  du  Pont 
district  lacks  this  feature.  The  grade  of  the  creek  and  the  land  in  the 
Cahokia  district  is  1.5  feet  to  the  mile,  or  three  times  that  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  grade  in  he  Prairie  du  Pont  district  includes  a 
series  of  lakes  of  various  sizes,  formed  in  part  by  the  water  issuing  from 
the  bluffs  and  being  unable  to  flow  away.  On  account  of  the  slight 
fall  of  the  land  and  the  absence  of  any  well-defined  drainage  channel 
this  water  gradually  spreads  over  what  is  relatively  high  ground  and 
forms  lakes.  Generally  speaking,  the  low  lands  in  St.  Clair  county, 
while  they  actually  represent  the  same  elevations  as  in  Madison  county, 
are  relatively  five  to  eight  feet  higher  when  compared  with  the  grade 
of  the  river  directly  to  the  west.  For  example,  Horseshoe  Lake  is  at 
elevation  20,  but  is  16  feet  above  the  low  water  of  the  river  directly 
opposite,  whereas  Pittsburg  Lake  in  St.  Clair  county  is  at  elevation  22, 
but  is  24  feet  above  low  water  of  the  river  opposite,  or  relatively  eight 
feet  higher  than  Horseshoe  Lake. 

In  the  Prairie  du  Pont  area  the  effect  of  heavy  rainfall  is  much  less 
serious  than  in  the  Cahokia  district,  since  (1)  there  is  much  less  volume 
of  water  to  deal  with,  (2)  numerous  lakes  act  as  reservoirs  and  thus 
retard  the  flow,  and  (3)  Prairie  du  Pont  creek  seldom  overflows  its 
banks. 

THE   MISSISSIPPI   RIVER. 

At  low-water  mark  the  Mississippi  river  receives  the  drainage  of 
Wood  river,  Cahokia  and  Prairie  du  Pont  creeks.  The  mouth  of  Wocd 
river  is  at  low-water  level,  while  those  of  Cahokia  and  Prairie  du  Pont 
creeks  are  respectively  seven  feet  higher.  Consequently,  when  the 
water  of  the  Mississippi  river  is  more  than  seven  feet  above  low-water 
mark  it  backs  up  the  tributary  streams  until  it  is  offset  by  the  water  of 
these  branches. 

When  the  water  of  the  Mississippi  river  rises  30  feet  above  low-water 
mark,  the  flood-plain  is  subject  to  overflow.  In  such  cases  the  flood 
gates  at  the  mouth  of  Cahokia  creek  are  closed  in  order  that  East  St. 
Louis  and  other  riparian  cities  may  be  protected.  When  the  river  rises 
to  35  feet  it  is  considered  dangerous,  for  there  is  approximately  only 
10  per  cent  of  the  land  of  the  flood-plain  above  this  elevation.  At  the 
present  time  the  lowlands  are  protected  from  overflow  by  strong  levees 
near  the  river  bank. 

Notwithstanding  these  precautions,  the  river  at  times  of  heavy  storm 
inundates  the  city.    During  the  last  sixty  years  the  stage  of  the  Missis- 

—2  G 


18  WATER    EESOUECES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  '  [bull.  5 

sippi  river  has  been  above  elevation  30  on  sixteen  occasions,  and  during 
the  same  period  has  been  at  or  above  elevation  35  in  seven  instances. 
The  dates  and  heights  of  the  latter  stages  are  as  follows:  1844,  41.4 
feet;  1851,  36.6  feet;  1855,  37-1  feet;  1858,  37.2  feet;  1883,  39.8  feet; 
1892,  36  feet;  1903,  38  feet.  Of  these,  the  elevations  of  1844  and  1903 
stand  out  prominently;  that  of  1844  covered  the  entire  flood-plain, 
while  in  1903  the  water  was  held  in  check  by  various  railroad  embank- 
ments which  have  been  constructed  since  1844.  The  greater  portion 
of  the  land  between  the  Southern  and  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroads 
in  St.  Clair  county,  and  all  the  land  east  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  and 
north  of  the  Litchfield  &  Madison  railroads  and  Long  Lake  were  pro- 
tected from  overflow  in  1903.  It  sometimes  takes  months  for  the  flood 
water  to  escape  after  an  overflow. 

SILVER  AND   RICHLAND   GREEKS. 

The  eastern  part  of  the  district  drains  southward  through  Silver  and 
Richland  creeks  into  the  Kaskaskia  river  which  covers  the  southeast 
corner  of  St.  Clair  county.  The  drainage  is  generally  sufficiently  well 
developed  to  carry  off  the  superfluous  rainfall  rapidly.  A  porous  loess, 
which  easily  absorbs  water,  covers  the  western  half  of  Madison  county 
and  the  western  part  of  St.  Clair  county  as  far  east  as  the  meridian  of 
Belleville.  The  eastern  part  of  these  counties  is  overspread  by  a  white 
clay  which  does  not  absorb  the  rainfall.  The  area  of  this  southeastward 
drainage  within  the  district  has  not  been  computed,  neither  has  the  dis- 
carge  in  cubic  feet  per  second  been  tested.  It  is  thought,  however,  that 
these  will  compare  favorably  with  the  several  drainage  systems  of  the 
district  given  above,  since  the  rainfall  and  other  determining  conditions 
are  about  the  same. 


GEOLOGIC  FEATURES.* 

(By  Chester  A.  Reeds.) 

Introductory  Note  by  Isaiah  Bowman. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  chief  difference  between  the  present  day 
hydrologic  engineer  and  that  type  of  so-called  water  artist  whose  sole 
source  of  reputation  is  a  divining  rod  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  former 
bases  his  conclusions  upon  carefully  collected  facts  of  climate,  geology 
and  topography,  while  the  latter  bases  his  conclusions  upon  a  supersti- 
tion. The  one  makes  a  scientific,  the  other  an  unscientific  and  even 
childish  use  of  the  imagination.  If  this  fact  is  once  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated it  will  logically  follow  that  no  one  will  begin  the  perusal  of 
hydrologic  data,  even  from  a  standpoint  so  critically  brief  as  the  eco- 
nomic, without  having  first  of  all  acquainted  himself  with  at  least  the 
elementary  and  fundamental  geological  relations. 

There  is  no  escape  from  this  conviction.  Hydrology  is  today  a  sci- 
ence, and  its  field  and  office  methods  rest  upon  a  few  well-determined 

*  A  detailed  report  on  the  geology  of  the  St.  Louis  special  quadrangle  is  now  in  prep- 
aration by  Professor  N.  M.  Fenneman.  As  this  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  East  St.  Louis 
district,  only  those  geological  features  which  have  to  do  with  the  water  resources  are  con- 
sidered here. 


reeds.]  GEOLOGIC    FEATURES.  19 

principles.  The  chief  ultimate  source  of  all  ground  water  is  rainfall. 
The  amount  of  water  absorbed  by  the  earth  will  depend  on  many  fac- 
tors, among  which  are  the  slope  of  the  land,  the  character  of  the  soil, 
the  amount  and  duration  of  sunshine,  etc.  The  occurrence  of  the  ab- 
sorbed water  within  the  earth,  that  is  to  say,  the  depth  at  which  it  may 
be  recovered  and  the  head  in  response  to  which  it  will  rise,  etc.,  de- 
pends upon  the  structure,  texture  and  attitude  of  the  absorbing  rock. 
These  well-determined  principles  lead  inevitably  to  but  one  conclusion. 
We  must  study  those  geologic  factors  which  function  water  supplies 
before  we  can  appreciate  the  meaning  of  hydrologic  data  or  arrive  at  a 
conclusion  in  any  degree  scientific. 

In  the  following  chapter  the  reader  will  therefore  find  described 
such  geological  facts  as  will  help  him  to  grasp  the  salient  features  of 
the  geology  of  the  East  St.  Louis  district.  In  writing  this  chapter 
Mr.  Reeds  has  kept  constantly  before  him  the  idea  of  the  control 
which  these  facts  have  upon  water  conditions  and  resources.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  value  of  the  report  has  been  enhanced  by  constant  but 
brief  references  to  these  conditions,  even  in  the  chapter  devoted  more 
exclusively  to  geology  than  water  supplies. 


Geologic  Formations. 

•general  statement. 

Although  the  only  rocks  which  outcrop  along  the  east  bluff  of  the 
Mississippi  are  thick  beds-  of  the  Mississippian  and  Pennsylvanian 
(coal  measures)  series,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  some  of  the  lower 
formations,  since  in  drilling  deep  wells  older  rocks  are  encountered. 
The  data,  concerning  these  older  rocks,  however,  are  meagre,  and 
come  from  the  logs  of  the  few  wells  reaching  down  2,000  to  3,000  feet 
and  from  exposures  outside  the  district. 

ordovician. 

Si  Peters  sandstone.  The  lowest  formation  which  has  been  en- 
countered within  the  district  is  the  St.  Peters  sandstone  at  the  bottom 
of  a  3,069  foot,  well  at  the  Postel  Milling  Co's.  plant,  Mascoutah,  111. 
This  sandstone  is  of  Ordovician  age  and  is  the  source  of  supply  for  a 
large  number  of  artesian  wells  in  the  northern  and  western  parts  of 
the  State.*  The  quality  of  the  water  obtained  in  those  regions  is 
usually  good,  and  is  adequate  for  the  needs  of  the  small  cities  and 
towns.  The  water  in  the  Mascoutah  well,  however,  which  flows  at  the 
surface,  is  brackish  and  unsuitable  for  domestic  use.  The  sand  and 
shale  in  which  the  deep  water  is  found  reach  from  the  2,898  foot  to  the 
3,069  foot  level.  The  sand  is  round,  fine-grained  and  has  the  appear- 
ance of  the  St.  Peters  sand  found  in  the  northern  part  of  State.  Many 
well  owners  and  some  drillers  misuse  the  term  in  applying  to  the 
sandstone  members  which  occur  higher  up  in  the  geologic  section,  par- 
ticularly those  at  the  base  of  the  Mississippian  series  and  the  coal 


*Leverett,  Water  Supply  and  Irr.  Paper  No.  144,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1905,  p.  250. 


20  WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

measures.  In  this  part  of  the  state  the  St.  Peters  sandstone  is  deep 
seated  and  is  usually  not  found  higher  than  3,000  foot  level,  or  2,500 
feet  below  tide.  For  further  data  see  a  list  of  deep  wells  tabulated  on 
later  pages  of  this  report,  and  a  hypsographic  map  of  the  St.  Peters 
sandstone  of  Illinois  and  western  Indiana,  by  Frank  Leverett* 

Stones  River  limestone.  In  the  geological  column  this  formation 
occurs  just  above  the  St.  Peters  sandstone.  Whether  it  extends  across 
the  district  above  the  St.  Peters  is  not  definitely  known.  It  outcrops, 
however,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  river  at  Sulphur  Springs, 
Mo.,  where  it  is  exposed  at  the  foot  of  a  talus-covered  slope,  a  stone's 
throw  from  the  base  of  the  Trenton  limestone.  The  section  shows  a 
poorly  preserved,  thin-bedded  limestone,  about  ten  feet  in  thickness, 
with  Stone's  river  fossils.  Two  sulphur  springs  and  one  containing 
magnesia,  sulphur,  and  a  noticeable  amount  of  salt  issue  from  the  base 
of  the  exposure. 

Trenton  limestone.  Like  the  Stones  river,  the  limestone  does  not 
outcrop  within  the  district,  but  reaches  under  the  Mississippi  river  and 
appears  in  the  rugged  hills  along  the  west  bank  from  Kimmswick,  to 
Glen  Park,  Mo.,  and  southward.  Some  exposures  have  been  noted  in 
a  small  area  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  west  of  Columbia,  111.,  where 
the  limestone  has  been  uncovered  for  a  long  time,  many  small  cavities 
ranging  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to  that  of  an  egg  are  scattered  over  its 
surface.  In  the  cuts  along  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  and  Southern 
Railroad  the  cavities  in  this  limestone  are  not  prominent;  still  they 
undoubtedly  facilitate  the  passage  of  water  through  the  stone.  One 
large  spring  with  a  fine  quality  of  water  was  found  issuing  from  this 
rock  between  the  Glen  Park  station  and  the  Mississippi  river.  Another 
was  found  two  miles  up  stream  in  the  same  horizon,  four  feet  above 
low  water  mark  on  the  Missippi  river.  This  limestone  is  widely  dis- 
tributed in  northern  Illinois,  and  in  the  region  of  outcrops  is  a  good 
water  bearer.  The  drill  has  shown  that  parts  of  it  in  Western  Illinois, 
buried  deeply  beneath  later  formations  will  yield  strong  artesian  wells, 
so  that  at  such  points  it  is  unnecessary  to  sink  to  the  St.  Peters  or  lower 
formations.* 

In  the  region  mentioned  above,  that  is  between  Kimswick  and  Glen 
Park,  Mo.,  and  southward,  the  upper  surface  of  the  Trenton,  locally 
called  the  Kimmswick  limestone,  presents  a  tangential  unconformity, 
that  is  between  the  Trenton  limestone  on  the  lower  side  and  the  Rich- 
mond formation  on  the  upper  there  is  a  marked  unconformity  devel- 
oped parallel  to  the  bedding  planes,  and  therefore  not  determinable 
from  the  structural  relations.  It  is  known  only  from  paleontological 
evidence,  the  receptaculities,  Rhynchonella  and  bryazoan  beds,  re- 
spectively, appearing  in  contact  with  the  Richmond  formation  in  the 
course  of  two  miles. 

Richmond  limestones  and  shales.  This  formation  is  the  youngest 
representative  of  the  Ordovician.  It  does  not  outcrop  in  the  district 
but  is  found  about  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles  south  of  St.  Louis  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  Kimmsvvick 


♦Leverett,  Water  Sup.  and  Irr.  Paper  No.  114.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1905,  p.  250. 


reeds.]  GEOLOGIC   FEATURES.  21 

and  Glen  Park,  Mo.  Below  it  is  in  marked  unconformity  to  the  Tren- 
ton limestone,  as  the  Lorraine,  Frankfort  and  Utica  formation  are 
wanting.  Above  them  is  an  even  greater  unconformity  with  the  Kin- 
derhook  of  the  Mississippian,  all  rocks  of  both  the  Silurian  and  Devon- 
ian periods  being  absent.  Notwithstanding  these  unconformities  the 
formation  is  thin,  being  only  from  four  to  twenty  feet  in  thickness. 
It  is  composed  of  a  limestone  at  the  base,  twelve  to  twenty-four  inches 
thick,  with  a  yellow  shale  above.  The  shale  is  a  variable  quantity  and 
is  known  as  the  Maquoketa  shale.  At  the  Goerz  quarry  and  kiln  at 
Glen  Park,  the  Richmond  is  not  more  than  four  feet  thick,  being  half 
limestone  and  half  shale.  At  places  in  the  shale  outcrop  it  shows 
signs  of  having  been  worked  over  after  deposition.  This  was  prob- 
ably done  by  the  Kinderhook  sea,  since  the  Bushburg  sandstone,  the 
lowest  member  of  the  Kinderhook  formation,  lies  immediately  above. 
Two  miles  above  Glen  Park  on  the  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern  Rail- 
road, the  Bushburg  sandstone  is  wanting,  and  the  next  higher  forma- 
tion in  the  Mississippian  series,  the  Fern  Glen,  rests  on  the  Maquoketa 
shales  of  the  Richmond. 

Typical  Richmond  fossils  are  found  in  the  limestone  member,  and 
while  in  the  shale  these  remains  are  not  so  numerous,  various  forms  of 
graptolites  and  fish  teeth' are  found.  Since  the  formation  is  quite  thin 
in  this  locality  it  probably  has  little  to  do  with  the  water  supply.  In 
Iowa,  Minnesota  and  northern  Illinois  it  is  exposed  over  a  broad  sur- 
face and  is  more  important.  Its  chief  role  in  relation  to  water  supply 
is  as  an  impervious  layer  separating  the  different  aquieiers. 

SILURIAN. 

Niagara  limestone.  There  is  no  definite  evidence  in  the  deep  well 
logs  that  Silurian  rocks  are  present  in  this  district.  The  Niagara 
limestone  occurs  on  the  slopes  of  the  Ozarks  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas, 
and  outcrops  to  the  north  of  the  area  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  river.  In  the  last  instance  the  region  is  separated,  how- 
ever, from  the  East  St.  Louis  district  by  an  immense  fault,  which  ex- 
tends across  the  Mississippi  river  into  Missouri.  On  the  Illinois  side 
the  fault  line  is  covered  with  glacial  material,  yet  for  a  short  distance 
on  either  side  rocks  are  exposed  on  the  surface;  Niagara  limestone  on 
the  north  and  St.  Louis  limestone  on  the  south  side. 

DEVONIAN. 

Devonian  limestone..  .The  Devonian  limestones  are  ordinarily  poor 
water  bearers  compared  with  the  Niagara,  yet  in  certain  localities  they 
afford  sufficient  water  to  supply  local  needs.  Their  outcrop  is  also 
much  more  restricted  than  that  of  the  Niagara,  being  confined  to  small 
areas  in  the  western  and  southern  parts  of  the  State.* 


*Leverett,  Water  Sup.  and  Irr.  Paper  No.  114,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1905,  p.  251. 


22  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

MISSISSIPPIAN. 

The  classification  proposed  by  Ulrich*  is  followed  in  this  report. 
Only  the  two  upper  formations  of  the  Meremec  group  of  the  Missis- 
sippian  series  are  exposed  within  the  district.  They  occur  in  the  bluffs 
at  Alton  and  at  Stolle,  Falling  Springs,  and  one  mile  east  of  Columbia. 
The  rocks  of  the  Osage  and  Kinderhook  groups  are  exposed  to  the 
north  and  west  along  the  Mississippi  river,  and  in  sinking  wells  are 
encountered  within  the  area.  The  Chester  group  does  not  occur  within 
the  district,  but  to  the  southeast,  on  the  east, side  of  the  Mississippi 
river ;  hence,  it  will  not  be  considered  in  this  report. 

Kinderhook  shale  and  sandstone.  The  Kinderhook  group  is  com- 
posed chiefly  of  sandstones  with  the  shales  and  limestones.  It  lies  un- 
conformably  upon  the  rocks  below  and  differs  widely  in  its  texture  and 
in  the  arrangement  of  its  sediments.  During  the  time  the  latter  were 
being  deposited  the  sea  varied  in  different  places  at  different  times ;  con- 
sequently the  sandstone,  shale  and  limestone  formations  are  local  in 
their  distribution,  producing  a  corresponding  complexity  in  the  occur- 
rence of  the  water  they  bear.  In  the  few  wells  reaching  to  these  rocks 
an  abundance  of  water  is  usually  found,  but  it  is  brackish  and  un- 
suitable for  domestic  use. 

Osage  limestones.  This  group  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  coarse' 
bedded  limestones,  Burlington  and  Keokuk,  with  minor  amounts  of 
shale.  These  rocks  are  replete  with  fossils  and  are  wide  spread,  being 
well  exposed  near  Hannibal  and  Louisiana,  Mo.  The  average  thick- 
ness of  the  formation  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  is  200  feet. 
Within  the  area  it  is  thought  that  they  range  in  the  thickness  from 
225  to  250  feet.  Although  they  are  wide  spread  and  form  a  notice- 
able part  of  the  geological  column,  they  are  poor  water  bearers  by 
reason  of  their  compactness. 

Meramec  limestones.  The  Meramec  has  been  subdivided  by  Ulrich* 
into  the  Warsaw,  Spergen  Hill  and  St.  Louis  limestone.  The  first  of 
these  occurs  in  Missouri  along  the  Meramec  river  near  Valley  Park, 
and  again  in  the  type  locality  at  Warsaw.  The  Spergen  Hill  and  St. 
Louis  limestones  are  exposed  within  the  district  forming  the  high 
bluffs  at  Alton,  Stolle  and  Falling  Springs.  They  again  appear  in 
quarries  one  mile  and  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Columbia,  on  the 
road  to  Millstadt.  About  half  way  between  Columbia  and  Millstadt, 
near  the  Monroe-St.  Clair  county  line,  the  fourth  line  of  deformation* 
occurs,  the  low  arch  representing  this  being  completely  covered  over 
with  the  mantle  of  drift.  From  well  sections,  however,  the  dip  of  the 
northeast  limb,  in  the  direction  of  Millstadt,  Belleville  and  Mascoutah, 
has  been  determined.  The  matter  is  discussed  further  in  connection 
with  notes  on  city  and  village  water  supplies. 

These  formations  are  distinguished  by  their  fossils.  They  have  cer- 
tain lithologic  fades,  however,  which  aid  in  their  determination.  The 
Warsaw  is  composed  of  yellow  shales  and  limestones ;  the  latter  being 


*Ulrich,  Prof.,  Paper  No.  36,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1904,  p.  24. 
X  Weller,  Bulletin  No.  2,  111.  State  Geol.  Survey,  1906,  p.  22. 


reeds.]  GEOLOGIC    FEATURES.  Z6 

thin  bedded  and  predominating  over  the  shales.  The  Spergen  Hill 
iormation  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  heavy  massive  gray  to  dark 
brown  limestone,  and  is  characterized  particularly  by  the  great  abund- 
ance of  small  foraminiferal  shells  which  have  been  mistaken  for 
"oolite."  This  is  the  same  as  the  Spergen  Hill  or  Bedford  limestone 
of  Indiana,  widely  known  as  building  stone.  The  St.  Louis  limestone 
is  massive  and  quite  flinty  in  the  upper  part.  Wherever  it  outcrops  or 
comes  near  the  surface,  sink-holes  and  caves  are  formed.  Many  of 
the  great  limestone  caves  of  Kentucky  and  southern  Indiana  occur  in 
this  formation.  In  the  vicinity  of  Burkville,  111.,  Eckert's  cave,  sup- 
posed to  be  six  or  eight  miles  -long,  has  been  explored  for  some  three 
miles.  It  abounds  in  funnels,  rifts,  waterfalls,  underground  streams 
and  other  features  associated  with  limestone  caves  as  stalactites  and 
stalagmites.  Between  Stolle  and  Columbia  there  is  a  sink-hole  and 
cave  district  from  two  to  four  miles  wide.  The  Warsaw  and  Spergen 
Hill  formations  are  not  as  good  water  bearers  as  the  St.  Louis,  since 
they  do  not  develop  the  cave  features.  In  the  vicinity  of  Belleville  and 
Mascoutah  the  upper  part  of  the  St.  Louis  limestone  is  the  first  horizon 
in  which  salt  water  occurs.  In  the  southern  portion  of  the  state 
these  three  formations  attain  a  combined  thickness  of  200  to  245  feet. 
They  are  distinguished  from  the  limestones  below  by  their  fossils  and 
their  finer  texture.  In  the  following  table  is  given  a  section  of  the  lime- 
stone in  the  Anderson  quarry  one  mile  above  Alton  on  the  Mississippi 
river: 

Feet 
Thickness.  Depth. 

Loess 35  35 

Limestone    14  49 

Limestone,  thin  bedded   (fossils) 5  54 

Limestone 26  80 

Limestone  with  shaly  partings 2  82 

Brecciated  limestone  (fossils  in  upper  part) 27  109 

Limestone  with  magnesian  bands  (fossils) 44-  153 

Talus  slope  (base  of  quarry  to  river) 30  183 

PENNSYLVANIAN. 

Coal  Measures.  The  Pennsylvanian  or  coal  measures  formation 
occurs  immediately  beneath  the  mantle  of  drift,  and  extends  over  all 
the  district  except  the  western  part  of  the  Mississippi  river  flood-plain, 
locally  known  as  the  American  bottoms,  and  the  Karsted  region  men- 
tioned above.  In  the  American  Bottoms  the  river  sediments,  which 
are  from  100  to  150  feet  thick,  rest  at  Granite  City  on  the  massive  bed 
of  -Mississippian  limestone  (see  section  of  the  Niederinghaus  deep 
well  at  Granite  City,  No.  45),  while  at  Monks  Mound  and  near  Peters 
they  rest  respectively  on  a  shale  and  a  sandstone  which  are  undoubt- 
edly Coal  Measures  strata.  ( See  section  of  the  deep  well  near  Monks 
Mound,  No.  37.)  The  line  of  contact  between  the  Mississippian  and 
Pennsylvanian  formations  in  the  American  Bottoms  is  not  known, 
but  is  probably  somewhere  between  the  eastern  edge  of  East  St. 
Louis  and  Monks  Mound.  It  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  at  some  for- 
mer time  in  geological  history  the  Pennsylvania  formation  once  ex- 


24 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST   ST.   LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


tended  clear  across  the  flood-plain  of  the  Mississippi  river,  since  Coal 
Measures  rocks  are  found  not  only  in  the  bluffs  from  Centerville 
around  to  North  Alton  and  in  sections  of  deep  wells  near  Monks 
Mound  and  Peters,  but  beyond  the  Mississippi  in  the  City  of  St.  Louis 
and  districts  to  the  west  and  northwest.  This  was  probably  the  con- 
dition in  pre-glacial  times,  since  geologists  are  agreed  that  the  river 
trimmed  the  present  bluff  line  previous  to  the  glacial  epoch.*  The  ice, 
however,  may  have  materially  aided  the  river  to  carve  the  present 
contour  of  its  cliffs,  since  on  the  high  bluff  just  above  Alton  one  can 
see  the  former  valley  of  three  small  streams  along  the  line  of  uncon- 
formity between  the  massive  Mississippian  limestone  and  the  loess. 
One  of  these  is  perhaps  one-fourth  mile  across  and  twenty-five  feet 
deep.  These  may  have  been  carved  out  by  the  ice  before  the  drift  was 
deposited,  since  they  are  not  large,  have  gentle  slopes  and  occur  in 
contact  with  one  another. 


Loe$$  and  Drift. 

t-l/770&tor70 

>SH  $/7cr/e 
i  Coat  deosT/ 

l&35frl  Sandstone 
(2323  /V/,*s/$3  ,pp,  r/ood-P/o//? 
V&rt/ca/  $co/e  ~       ■   iwft. 
/fpr/*-o/7fo/  ■Scate^- 


P/etsrocene 
(Coosa  <">a  Drift.) 

.    Coo/  Measure's 

Stan*  end  ■son^to/re) 


Mi*si$9ippiort 
C/L/'/neetone,  $hah 
Qrid  Sandstone) 


Fig.  2.— Geological  section  across  the  southern  part  of  the  East  St.   Louis  district  from 
east  to  west  through  Mascoutah,  111.,  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo. 

The  formation  is  composed  of  alternating  beds  of  sandstone,  shale 
and  limestone,  in  addition  to  a  few  grits  and  conglomerates  and  thick 
beds  of  coal.  In  conforming  to  the  western  slope  of  the  eastern  in- 
terior coal  field  these  strata  dip  gently  to  the  eastward.  From  the  logs 
of  the  deep  wells  at  Belleville,  Mascoutah  and  those  at  Granite  City, 
Monks  Mound  and  Collinsville,  two  hypothetical  sections  have  been 
made  which  cross  respectively  the  district  from  west  to  east,  all  of  the 
massive  strata  which  were  encountered  in  sinking  the  deep  wells  being 
represented.     (See  figures  2  and  3.)     From  these  sections  it  will  be 


*Leverett,  Mon.  XXX VIII,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.. 


p.  89. 


REEDS.] 


GEOLOGIC   FEATUKES. 


25 


noticed  that  the  Coal  Measures  do  not  extend  to  the  Mississippi  river, 
and  that  the  strata  dip  more  sharply  in  the  western  than  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  district.  It  will  be  noticed,  also,  that  at  the  base  of  the 
Coal  Measures  a  sandstone  conglomerate  is  persistent  throughout. 
This  is.  the  chief  source  of  supply  of  the  artesian  wells  at  Belleville.  4 


P/a/trfecena 

v  Cocrl  /~7e>c*§urov 
(,Coal,ssho/e.  //ma- 
re/ •sondetvnt) 


(Limegto/re,  shale 
and   ■Sandstone) 


Lot>$$  end  Drtft.  1  i  '  i  I  L/m&<Sta/70 

COO/  $0Orr7  IHI?)  $O/7G/<sfof70 

Vert/oaf  $coV&      I    ^0/y  I 
Horizontal  <Scote     \  ■  dumlSS.  \ 


IIS)  <5ha/& 

§?Hg| rl/ssiesipp/  r/ooc/P/a//>i 


Fig.  3.— Geological  section  from  east  to  west  across  the  central  part  of  the  East  St.  Louis 
district,  from  12  miles  east  of  Collinsville.  Ill-,  to  8  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
through  the  northern  part  of  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


PLEISTOCENE. 

Till.  The  till,  which  is  exposed  chiefly  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
district  is  usually  of  a  yellowish  brown  color  to  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet 
or  more,  beneath  which  it  assumes  a  gray  or  blue-gray  hue.  In  many 
places  there  is  a  transition  from  the  brown  to  the  gray  in  which  gray 
streaks  remain  in  the  brown  till,  or  cracks  stained  brown  extend  some 
distance  into  the  gray  till.  In  such  places  it  is  probable  that  the  brown 
is  simply  an  altered  gray  till,  the  oxidation  of  the  air  having  produced 
the  change  of  color.  In  places  a  thin  bed  of  sand  or  gravel,  which 
supplies  water  to  shallow  wells,  occurs  at  the  junction  of  the  brown 
and  gray  till  and  gives  them  the  appearance  of  being  originally  dis- 
tinct. In  such  places,  however,  it  is  not  certain  that  the  brown  till 
was  not  originally  gray  in  color,  this  point  being  still  unsettled.  In 
Madison  county  typical  til)  is  found  along  the  east  bluff  of  the  Miss- 
issippi river  throughout  the  entire  width  of  the  county,  as  well  as  at 
points  farther  east.  The  till  is  usually  twenty-five  to  fifty  feet  in  depth, 
and  where  thickest  is  of  a  blue  color  near  the  bottom.  On  the  east 
bluff,  below  East  St.  Louis,  only  a  small  amount  of  glacial  drift  has 
been  found  beneath  the  loess  deposits  which  there  cap  the  bluff  to  a 


26  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS,  [bull.  5 

depth  of  thirty  to  fifty  feet  or  more  The  drift  usually  consists  of  a  thin 
bed  of  stony  material,  but  in  some  of  the  recesses  of  the  bluffs  and  in 
ravines,  exposures  of  nearly  pebbless  clay  or  seen.  Some  of  these  ex- 
posures near  Columbia,  just  south  of  the  district,  reach  a  depth  of 
from  forty  to  fifty  feet.  An  occasional  bowlder  a  foot  or  more  in 
diameter  is  found  in  these  deposits,  but  stones  are  very  rare  compared 
with  their  number  in  typical  till,  such  as  is  exposed  in  the  east  bluff 
above  East  St.  Louis.  It  is  probable  that  the  ice  sheet  extended  as 
far  west  as  the  east  bluff  of  the  Mississippi  in  St.  Clair,  Monroe  and 
Randolph  counties,  but  the  deposits  there  are. very  much  thinner  than 
in  the  drift  ridges  which  traverse  the  eastern  portion  of  these  counties, 
and  which  perhaps  mark  an  ice  margin  at  a  somewhat  later  period 
than  that  of  the  maximum  extension. 

Loess.  The  loess  is  not  uniform  in  structure.  A  very  porous  de- 
posit found  on  the  borders  of  the  large  valleys  has  been  called  bluff 
loess,  while  over  the  plains  between  the  streams  a  surface  silt  is 
found. 

The  structure  of  the  loess  varies  in  vertical  sections  as  well  as  from 
place  to  place.  The  leading  variations  in  the  vertical  sections  are 
such  as  to  support  a  three-fold  division: 

( i )  The  surface  portion,  two  to  four  feet  in  depth,  which  has  an 
earthy  structure,  due  probably  in  part  to  the  breaking  down  of  many 
of  the  grains  under  atmospheric  action.  This  phase  characterizes  not 
only  the  deposits  on  interfluvial  tracts,  but  also  those  on  the  borders 
of  the  main  valleys,  as  is  natural  if  the  earthy  appearance  is  due  to 
atmospheric  action.  (2)  The  main  body  of  the  loess  is  a  silt, 
usually  without  definite  bedding  planes  or  stratification.  It  is  some- 
what more  porus  on  the  borders  of  the  main  valleys  than  beneath  the 
interfluvial  tracts.  The  variation  in  texture  is  apparently  due  to  the 
removal  of  the  finer  material  on  the  border  of  the  valleys  rather  than 
to  the  presence  of  coarser  material  on  the  interfluves.  (3)  The  basal 
portion,  which  comonly  shows  a  more  distinct  bedding  than  the  body  of 
the  loess,  is  in  places  sandy  and  pebbly.  As  a  rule  the  pebbles  are  con- 
fined to  the  lower  two  or  three  feet,  but  in  the  thicker  portions  of  the 
loess  the  well-defined  bedding  may  occupy  a  depth  of  several  feet. 
The  pebbles  often  occur  in  places  where  the  bedding  is  obscure ;  indeed 
the  most  distinctly  bedded  portions  are  usually  free  from  pebbles. 

In  the  following  the  loess  from  place  to  place  across  the  interfluves, 
it  is  found  to  undergo  gradual  changes  in  texture  and  color,  for  which 
a  cause  is  not  in  all  cases  manifest ;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  more  porous  por- 
tions of  the  loess  are  found  in  proximity  to  a  large  valley.  On  passing 
back  from  the  valleys  the  open  texture  becomes  less  pronounced  and 
there  is  a  gradual  change  to  a  loam  of  varying  composition. 

The  entire  surface  of  the  Illinoian  drift  sheet  appears  to  have  re- 
ceived a  capping  of  loess-like  silt  at  about  the  time  of  the  Iowan  ice 
invasion,  the  deposit  being  found  midway  between  the  streams,  as  well 
as  along  their  borders  where  it  was  first  recognized.  It  is  much 
thicker  on  the  bluffs  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  than  on  the  divide 
between  these  streams,  or  in  the  region  east  from  the  Illinois.  In 
much  of  southern  Illinois  the  thickness  is  only  from  three  feet  to  five, 


REEDS.] 


GEOLOGIC    FEATUBES. 


27 


and  the  average  depths  in  districts  east  of  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi 
is  probably  less  than  ten  feet.  On  the  borders  of  these  streams  its 
thickness  is  frequently  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet.  At  the  immediate 
edge  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  above  East  St.  Louis,  there  is  a  deposit 
from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  in  depth,  but  within  ten  miles  back  from  the 
bluff  the  thickness  decreases  to  ten  feet  or  less.  Below  East  St.  Louis 
the  loess  caps  the  bluffs  to  a  depth  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  or  more. 
The  till  and  loess  are  the  source  of  the  shallow  well  supply  of  water. 

Recent  Alluvial  Deposits. 

The  alluvial  deposits  within  the  district  are  confined  to  the  flood- 
plain  of  the  Mississippi  river.  In  this  plain  the  sediments  increase  in 
thickness  in  going  from  west  to  east.  At  Granite  City  they  are  thick, 
113  feet;  at  Monks  Mound,  140  feet;  near  Peters,  150  feet.  This 
material  is  composed  of  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  sand,  clay,  gumbo, 
shells,  gravel,  etc.  In  some  places  the  sand  is  very  fine,  while  in  others 
it  is  coarse  with  grains  of  various  rock  as  if  glacial.  The  pebbles  are 
of  different  sizes,  and  are  often  .brown  and  yellow  quartzite,  green- 
stone, etc.  Throughout  the  flood-plain  the  sediments  are  arranged  in 
no  definite  order,  but  in  sinking  wells  the  larger  materials,  such  as 
gravel  and  pebbles,  are  usually  found  near  the  bottom,  while  the 
smaller  sediments,  such  as  fine  sand,  clay,  gumbo,  etc.,  occur  near  the 
surface.  In  the  geological  section  across  the  center  portion  of  the  dis- 
trict, Fig.  3,  the  arrangement  of  these  sediments  with  reference  to  the 
other  geological  formations  is  shown  in  profile. 

The  possible  arrangement  of  the  sediments  is  shown  in  Fig.  4,  which 
was  made  for  the  Missouri  river,  but  which  will  serve  to  illustrate 

the  Mississippi  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  district. 

Mississippi  river.  These 
sediments  have  been  depos- 
ited as  a  heterogenous  mass 
by  the  action  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  and  its  tributary 
streams.  The  ice  may  have 
filled  in  a  portion  of  the  ma- 
terial, yet  from  the  informa- 
tion at  hand  it  is  more  ra- 
tional to  believe  that  the 
river  and  tributaries  brought 
in  the  material  from  the 
thick  glacial  deposits  which 
cross  the  river  higher  up 
and  from  the  bluffs  nearby. 
From  sections  of  25  shallow 

Fig.  4.  Diagram  to  show  the  heterogeneous  char-  we"s  m  ±Last  ot.  EOUIS  it 
acter  of  alluvial  deposits.  [After  Todd.  Republished  ron  h<=»  cppn  thaf  tlif>  ornnnrl 
by  the  courtesy  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.]  ^<xn   ue  ^C.C7   "ld,L   u;c  g1""11" 

upon  which  the  city  stands 
is  identical  with  the  deposits  which  the  river  is  making  along  its  course 
at  the  present  time ;  one  instance  is  in  evidence  as  going  to  show  that 


28  WATER    EESOUEGES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

the  Mississippi  river  is  building  out  the  flood-plain  between  the  old  town 
of  Cahokia  and  the  present  channel  of  the  river.  All  the  land  west  of 
the  town,  one  mile  in  width,  has  been  deposited  within  the  last  fifty 
years;  for  in  1850  Cahokia  was  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  This 
filling  in  of  the  river  has  been  aided  materially  by  the  Mississippi 
River  Commission,  which  has  placed  hurdles  along  the  east  bank  every 
few  hundred  feet.  These  throw  the  current  of  the  river  to  the  west 
bank,  allowing  sediments  to  settle  in  behind  them.  The  flood-plain  is 
extended  not  only  by  adding  to  the  bank,  but  also  by  flood  waters  rising 
and  floVing  over  the  plain  at  repeated  intervals. 

In  the  flood  plain  the  average  level  of  the  land  used  for  agricultural 
or  commercial  purposes  is  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  feet  above  the 
low  water  of  the  river  directly  opposite.  Of  this  kind  of  land  there 
is  probably  not  more  than  10  per  .cent.  During  the  past  sixty  years 
the  stage  of  the  Mississippi  river  has  been  above  elevation  30  on 
sixteen  occasions,  and  during  the  same  period  been  at  or  above 
elevation  35  on  seven  occasions.  The  dates  and  heights  of  these  seven 
extreme  stages  are  as  follows:  1844,  41.4  feet;  1851,  36.6  feet;  1855. 
37.1  feet;  1858,  37.2  feet;  1883,  34.8  feet;  1892,  36  feet;  1903,  38  feet. 
That  of  1844  was  the  highest  and  covered  the  entire  area  of  the  flood 
plain,  since  at  that  time  there  were  no  railroad  embankments  to  obstruct 
its  flow.  The  flood  of  1903  would  probably  have  covered  as  large  an 
area  were  it  not  for  the  railroad  embankments  which  have  been  con- 
structed .since  1844.  The  greater  portion  of  the  land  between  the 
Southern  and  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroads  in  St.  Clair  county,  and 
that  east  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  and  north  of  the  Litchfield  &  Madi- 
son railroads  and  Long  Lake,  in  Madison  county,  was  thus  protected 
from  the  overflow  of  1903.  The  amount  of  sediments  left  upon  the 
land  after  such  an  overflow  is  greatest  in  thickness  in  the  vincinity  of 
the  bank,  since  the  current  is  checked  there  and  the  material  pre- 
cipitated. The  total  depth  of  repeated  overflows  amounts  to  several 
feet,  which  is  very  important  in  a  flood  plain  of  this  character. 

Tributary  Streams.  In  addition  to  the  Mississippi  river,  the  small 
tributaries  which  come  out  of  the  bluffs  on  to  the  flood-plain  deposit 
a  considerable  amount  of  sediment.  Usually  these  sediments  are 
thrown  down  near  the  bluffs  along  the  courses  of  the  numerous  creeks. 
They  are,  however,  of  sufficient  importance  and  length  to  block  and 
change  the  drainage  of  some  of  the  lower  lakes.  The  outlet  of  Pitts- 
burg lake  to  the  south  has  been  largely  closed  up  by  bluff  sediments 
of  Druitt  creek.  In  1886  a  dense  jungle  of  willows,  one-half  mile  on 
either  side  of  Schoenberger  creek,  extended  from  French  Village  to 
Spring  lake.  It  is  now  a  good  truck  farming  country,  free  from  any 
danger  of  overflow  from  the  Mississippi. 


bowman.1  SUKFAGE   WATEES.  29 

SURFACE  SOURCES  OF  WATER  SUPPLY. 

(By  Isaiah  Bowman.) 

Use  of  Rainwater. 
Cisterns. 

Construction.  Cisterns  for  supplying  drinking  water  are  in  use 
in  various  places  in  the  East  St.  Louis  district.  They  are  usually 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  deep  and  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  in 
diameter.  They  are  made  of  double  rows  of  well  mortised  brick, 
cemented  on  the  inside  to  a  smooth  surface.  As  thus  constructed,  they 
are  water  tight  and  keep  out  all  impurities  except  at  the  top;  hence, 
are  often  built  either  directly  beneath  or  adjacent  to  the  house  of  the 
owner,  whose  drainage  from  the  roofs  can  readily  be  turned  into 
them. 

Use  and  advantages.  Many  people  living  in  the  Karst  district, 
where  the  limestone  is  extensively  caved,  regard  the  Karst  water  as 
unsafe,  not  from  any  thought  of  the  hydrologic  conditions,  but  from 
the  alleged  fact  that  when  certain  families  in  which  typhoid  fever  was 
an  annual  occurrence  ceased  to  use  well  water  they  ceased  to  have 
typhoid.  That  fever  should  follow  the  use  of  the  karst  water  in  many 
cases  is  not  surprising,  in  view  of  frequent  close  proximity  of  cess 
pools  and  welis  and  the  excellent  facilities  for  direct  drainage  from  the 
one  to  the  other.  To  one  unaccumstomed  to  the  idea  the  using  of 
cistern  water  seems  at  first  thought  obnoxious;  but,  considering  the 
manner  of  construction  and  the  fact  that  the  cisterns  are  regularly 
cleaned — once  or  twice  a  year — most  of  the  objections  disappear.  The 
impurities  removed  in  cleaning  the  cisterns  consist  chiefly  of  sand  and 
dust  blown  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses  and  washed  in  by  rain,  or  if 
near  a  city,  of  coal  dust.  The  later  is  thought  to  act  as  a  filter.,  and 
its  collection  in  the  cistern  is  rather  favored.  The  water  collected  in 
the  cistern  is  that  resulting  from  winter  rains.  This  comes  into  the 
cistern  at  a  low  temperature  and  is  kept  cool  through  the  summer  by 
the  ground  under  the  cistern  bottom,  which  is  perhaps  never  below 
500  F.  and  never  above  6o°  F.,  even  in  the  hottest  weather.  If  water 
that  falls  in  summer  is  collected,  it  is  usually  of  a  yellowish  color 
and  very  warm  and  unpalatable.  The  capacity  of  the  cistern  is  great 
enough  to  enable  the  owner  successfully  to  husband  the  winter  supply 
through  the  following  summer,  as  the  water  is  used  for  drinking 
purposes  only.  Cisterns  for  the  collection  of  water  for  washing  pur- 
poses are  usually  of  separate  construction. 

Recommendations.  It  is  not  commonly  known  how  much  more 
palatable  than  summer  water  winter  water  is.  Only  one  who  has 
tried  the  two  classes  will  be  convinced  of  the  desirability  of  excluding 
the  rain  water  of  summer.  Besides  the  matter  of  taste  and  color,  it  is 
known  that  the  rain  water  of  summer  is  likely  to  contain  a  much  higher 
percentage  of  organic  matter  collected  from  the  roof  of  the  house,  and 
that  this  matter  by  decay  is  likely  to  still  further  vitiate  the  quality  of 
the  water.     Winter  water  should  therefore  be  preferred.     It  is  also 


30  WATER    RESOURCES   OP  EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

recommended  that  cisterns  be  cleaned  oftener,  especially  in  summer, 
when  a  large  amount  of  germ-laden  dust  is  carried  aloft  and  deposited 
on  house  tops.  With  the  help  of  a  candle  the  cistern  wall  and  bottom 
should  be  examined  thoroughly  at  each  cleaning  to  detect  the  presence 
of  any  cracks  which,  may  have  formed  and  which  may  allow  the 
entrance  of  and  pollution  by  ground  water  or  by  karst  water. 

Water  Supply  From  Springs  and  Streams, 
springs. 

Disribution.  No  springs  of  significance  occur  within  the  East  St. 
Louis  district  except  Falling  spring  (B  6,  Plate  3)  which  in  a  certain 
sense  is  not  a  spring  at  all  but  merely  the  appearance  at  the  surface  of 
an  underground  stream.  In  the  ordinary  acceptance  of  the  word 
"spring"  it  embodies  or  connotes  the  idea  of  the  slow  but  relatively 
concentrated  issuance  of  water  from  saturated  sands  or  gravels  of  rock. 
The  spring  discharge  in  some  sections,  as  for  example  the  northern 
shore  of  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  is  so  great  as  to  be  of  economic  interest  to 
a  concentrated  population  nearby.  In  this  case  the  interest  is  increased 
to  an  unusual  degree  by  the  further  fact  that  the  springs  discharge 
almost  directly  into  the  sea,  and  to  be  utilized  must  be  recovered  at  the 
point  of  discharge.  Ordinarily,  as  in  inland  sections,  the  springs  are 
the  source  of  supply  for  brooks  and  rivers,  and  interest  in  them  is 
chiefly  through  their  relation  to  the  surface  drainage.  Such  is  the  case 
in  this  part  of  Illinois,  except  for  the  one  noted. 

Utilisation  of  spring  water.  Springs  are  often  of  great  value  in  spe- 
cial cases.  They  frequently  ooze  out  of  a  river  bluff  or  valley  side  in 
hundreds  of  places  and  mark  the  intersection  of  the  water  table  with 
the  surface.  Wells  sunk  here  are  in  saturated  material  throughout 
their  entire  depth  and  not  a  fraction  of  their  depth  as  ordinarily.  Hence 
the  whole  well  wall  is  a  bleeding  surface.  Such  water  has  passed 
through  a  natural  filter,  the  soil,  for  some  distance  and  has  been  ac- 
quired before  it  reaches  the  river  and  becomes  liable  to  contamination. 
Many  villages  in  Michigan  are  supplied  by  water  systems  dependent  on 
wells  sunk  in  these  favored  localities,  and  it  would  seem  to  be  an  im- 
portant resource  in  the  East  St.  Louis  district  in  the  future  when  sur- 
face streams  are  rendered  more  important,  as  there  is  a  steady  increase 
in  the  density  of  the  population.  A  further  advantage  of  this  system 
lies  in  the  cheapness  with  which  the  wells  may  be  driven.  Common 
well  points  with  long  screens  purchased  for  a  few  dollars  and  driven 
down  with  2-inch  or  3-inch  drive  pipe,  are  often  sufficient.  Indeed, 
where  the  water-bearing  material  is  coarse  it  is  sometimes  the  case  that 
no  special  screen  is  used,  the  whole  drive  pipe  acting  as  a  screen,  being 
perforated  throughout  its  entire  length  with  ^-inch  holes. 

The  localities  which  are  best  suited  for  the  development  of  such  a 
system  are  those  where  a  valley  has  been  incised  below  the  level  of  the 
water  table.  Springs  appear  at  the  surface  on  the  line  of  intersection 
of  the  water  table  and  the  valley  side.  The  upland  bluff  in  the  East  St. 
Louis  district  is  such  a  locality  as  well  as  the  valley  sides  of  most  of  the 
larger  streams  tributary  to  the  Mississippi  in  this  district. 


bowman.]  SURFACE   WATEES.  31 

Streams. 

general  statement. 

The  principal  source  of  stream  water  within  the  East  St.  Louis  dis- 
trict is  the  Mississippi.  Besides  this  there  are  smaller  streams,  tribu- 
tary to  the  Mississippi,  which  may  be  drawn  on  for  a  supply.  On  ac- 
count of  the  importance  in  many  connections  of  the  Mississippi  river 
in  this  district,  we  shall  describe  in  considerable  detail  its  relations  to  the 
problems  of  water  supply. 

Mississippi  River  Water, 
difficulties  in  utilizing. 

Popular  view  of  availability.  In  view  of  the  f^ct  that  the  water  de- 
rived from  the  flood-plain  deposits  can  not  be  used  in  boilers  in  its 
natural  condition,  that  is  to  say,  without  the  application  of  a  compound 
to  prevent  scaling,  and  that  a  water  supply  serves  the  manufacturer 
chiefly  for  boiler  and  cooling  purposes,  it  would  seem  that  river  water 
could  readily  be  substituted  to  the  relief  of  the  situation.  To  most  peo- 
ple the  idea  of  using  river  water  would  seem  to  be  the  easiest  possible 
feat,  to  require  merely  the  laying  of  a  pipe  line  from  engine  room  to 
river  bank.  To  such  it  will  seem  a  surprising  statement  that  the 
gravest  general  problems  and  most  serious  mechanical  difficulties  in  the 
whole  East  St.  Louis  district  which  up  to  the  present  time  have  been 
met  and  overcome,  are  those  involved  in  the  acquisition,  cleansing  and 
delivery  of  the  water  of  the  Mississippi. 

Pipe  line  to  the  river.  In  the  first  place,  manufacturing  plants  are 
rarely  located  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  most  of  them  being  from  one  to 
three  miles  back.  The  cost  of  laying  a  pipe  line  in  the  latter  case  is 
great,  but  not  prohibitive;  the  chief  difficulty  is  not  the  cost  but  the 
securing  of  the  privilege  from  the  city  and  village  councils  of  the  right 
to  undertake  construction  of  this  sort.  One  of  the  first  considerations 
in  towns  located  on  the  flood-plain  is  that  of  protection  from  overflow 
in  times  of  high  water  on  the  Mississippi.  For  this  purpose  levees  are 
constructed  and  carefully  guarded  from  burrowing  animals  and  man. 
A  telegraph  company  recently  failed  to  secure  a  franchise, from  a  town 
near  East  St.  Louis  for  the  construction  of  a  telegraph  line  involving 
the  planting  of  poles  across  a  levee.  It  was  held  by  the  town  council 
that  in  time  of  high  water  on  the  outer  side  of  the  levee  the  pole  hole 
on  the  inner  side  might  operate  on  the  principle  of  a  sand  boil,  the 
water  rising  slowly  at  first  and  then  faster  until  a  passage  was  exca- 
vated which  might  later  undermine  the  levee.  Such  cases  are  not  un- 
known and  the  objection  appears  to  be  valid. 

To  such  interests  there  would  be  but  one  answer  to  the  question  of 
the  building  of  a  pipe  line  through  a  levee  in  the  ordinary  manner.  It 
would  offer  facilities  for  the  movement  of  water  under  the  levee  be- 
tween the  pipe  line  and  the  earth  about  it,  and  therefore  constitute  a 
source  of  danger  from  overflow.  Such  lines  have  indeed  been  built  by 
water  companies,  but  always  according  to  specifications  which  look 
toward  the  prevention  of  this  evil  and  in  locations  which  offer  the  least 


32 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


number  of  chances  for  its  occurrence.  Both  the  telegraph  and  the 
water  supply  system  are  public  utilities  of  a  transcendent  order,  but  in 
the  former  case  the  varieties  of  manner  by  which  the  line  can  be  inex- 
pensively run  in  different  places  far  exceed  those  in  the  latter  case,  and 
it  cannot  therefore  be  admitted  that  the  two  stand  on  equal  terms  in 
this  connection. 

Problems  of  System  as  Illustrated  by  City  Water  Company. 

The  various  other  difficulties  and  problems  which  arise  in  the  at- 
tempt to  use  river  water  may  best  be  understood  from  an  account  of 
the  experiences  of  the  City  Water  Company  of  East  St.  Louis  an; 
Granite  City,  and  the  conditions  under  which   these  two  plants 
maintained. 


GRANITE   CITY  PUMPING   STATION. 

Location.     The  pumping  station  for  the  Granite  City  division  oi 
company  is  located  on  Cabaret  Island,  as  shown  in  Fig.   ^5.    The  rj 
is  reached  by  a  suction  main  200  feet  long,  on  the  end  of  which  is 
tached  a  strainer  with  2-inch  openings.    From  the  map,  plate  4,  it  rn  y 

be  seen  that  Cabaret  Island  lies  onUe 
inside  of  a  bend  in  the  river.  Tr 
cutting  on  the  outside  of  the  bend  u 
on  the  west  bank  of  the. river  at  this 
place  is  compensated  by  additions  of 
material  on  the  low  sandy  inner  bank. 
The  successive  additions  are  clearly 
shown  in  plate  4,  as  well  as  the  chutes 
or  remnants  of  the  old  channel,  which 
have  now  been  superceded  by  a  newer 
western  one.  The  district  is  therefore 
one  of  filling,  and,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected this  embarasses  the  company  in 
the  use  of  the  suction  main. 

Difficulties  of  maintenance ;  shifting 
sand.  For  protection  in  high  water 
the  Mississippi  River  Commission  has 
built  a  dike  at  the  point  shown  below 

pumping  station  of  the  city  water  company    tne      intake      of      Cabaret      chute.         In 

the  lee  of  this  dike  an  eddy  forms,  and  river-borne  material  is  in  con- 
sequence deposited.  The  sandbar  has  grown  southward  steadily  until 
it  is  at  present  seriously  menacing  the  suction  main  which  crosses  its 
path.  The  danger  is  greatest  at  times  of  falling  water  following  flood, 
when  the  volume  of  the  stream  rapidly  decreases  in  proportion  to  its 
load,  and  banks  and  bars  grow  with  incredible  rapidity.  In  the  present 
case  the  condition  is  aggravated  by  the  fact  that  in  time  of  high  water 
a  part  of  the  current  escapes  by  way  of  Cabaret  chute,  whereas  if  it 
were  retained  wholly  in  the  main  channel  deposition  would  not  take 
place  so  rapidly,  by  virtue  of  the  law  just  referred  to.    To  accomplish 


I 

Fig 


\Pur 
Cabaret  Island  and  Granite  City 


bowman.]        '  SURFACE   WATERS.  33 

the  desirable  end  of  retaining  the  whole  volume  of  the  stream  in  the 
main  channel,  a  dike  has  been  proposed,  to  be  built  at  the  entrance  to 
Cabaret  chute,  Fig.  5,  and  this  will  no  doubt  be  an  effective  remedial 
measure. 

A  second  project,  which  but  little  commends  itself  to  the  writer,  in- 
volves the  building  of  a  dike  between  the  lower  end  of  the  encroaching 
bar  and  the  suction  main.  This  would,  however,  offer  conditions 
equally  favorable  to  the  formation  of  a  bar  as  those  further  up  stream. 
Meanwhile  the  situation  has  been  partly  relieved  by  cutting  a  gap 
through  the  government  dike,  as  shown  in  Fig.  5,  and  allowing  part 
of  the  current  access  to  the  bar.  This  counteracts  or  breaks  up  the 
eddy  and  partially  removes  the  accumulated  material. 

Whenever  the  sand  accumulates  in  such  amounts  as  to  close  the  suc- 
tion, a  diver  (steadily  maintained  in  the  employ  of  the  company) 
cleans  it  away.  The  sand  has  also  been  removed  by  anchoring  'a  scow 
over  the  end  of  the  main.  The  deflection  which  the  shape  of  the  bow 
an  ottom  of  the  scow  gives  to  the  current  concentrates  more  power- 
fi  nreads  of  the  current  on  the  bottom  than  under  natural  conditions 
a'  ^'bottom  scour  results.  It  is  difficult  to  direct  this  action,  however, 
fefcept  in  a  rough  way.  During  the  time  that  the  main  suction  line  is 
Iftk'ed  with  sand,  water  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  smaller  suction  mains 

uth  of  the  principal  one.    These  are  operated  by  two  small  auxiliary 

mps  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

EAST    ST.    LOUIS    PUMPING   STATION. 

Location.  The  East  St.  Louis  division  of  the  City  Water  Company 
has  its  pumping  station  just  within  the  main  levee  at  the  northern  end 
of  the  Terminal  Association's  switch  yard  in  East  St.  Louis.  Two 
separate  power  houses  are  maintained  here  within  a  quarter  mile  of 
each  other,  the  one  at  the  intake,  which  pumps  water  from  river  to 
reservoir,  being  called  the  low  pressure  station;  the  one  which  de- 
livers water  to  the  city*  from  the  reservoir  and  furnishes  pressure  for 
fire  protection,  being  called  the  high  pressure  station. 

The  power  house  ends  of  the  suction  mains' are  in  a  pit  20  feet  below 
the  surface,  entering  the  pit  a  few  feet  above  the  bottom.  One  of  these 
mains  has  a  diameter  of  20  inches,  the  other  30  inches,  and  both  extend 
through  a  tunnel  a  few  hundred  feet  westward  to  the  bank  of  the 
river.  The  tunnel  feature  of  the  mains  enables  workmen  easily  to 
examine  any  part  of  the  intake  at  any  time  (or  to  make  repairs),  a 
circumstance  of  considerable  importance  in  view  of  the  liability  of 
overflow  at  the  surface  to  the  prevention  of  any  excavating  in  case  of 
breakage  or  leakage  in  the  mains. 

River  connections.  The  mains  pass  through  a  check  built  into  the 
bank  below  the  upper  level  of  the  rip-rap  and  extend  for  250  feet  into 
the  river  and  from  10.  to  20  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  They 
are  supported  by  12  hog-chains  strung  between  12  pair  of  piles  and 
terminate  in  8-foot  screens  or  strainers. 

Each  strainer  is  punched  full  of  holes  about  one  inch  in  diameter. 
The  strainers  are  constantly  being  clogged  by  river-borne  detritus  and 

-3G 


34 


WATER    EESOUECES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


the  diver  in  the  employ  of  the  water  company  is  kept  pretty  constantly 
employed  in  cleaning  off  the  accumulated  material.  This  consists 
chiefly  of  grass,  leaves,  roots,  etc.  The  character  of  the  material  re- 
flects in  an  interesting  way  the  prevailing  conditions  on  the  river.  In 
the  autumn  season  when  the  trees  along  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
or  its  tributaries  are  shedding  their  leaves  into  the  stream,  the  material 
is  chiefly  dead  leaves  or  twigs ;  but  at  times  of  high  water  in  late  spring 
or  early  summer  the  material  is  chiefly  grass  and  roots  dislodged  from 
the  river  bank  on  the  outside  of  bends  where  cutting  is  then  actively  in 
progress. 

A  second  strainer  is  inserted  in  that  part  of  the  mains  which  is  in  the 
pit  of  the  power  house.  The  manner  in  which  this  strainer  is  inserted, 
as  well  as  its  shape,  are  shown  in  Fig.  6.     The  mesh  is  considerably 

finer  than  that  in  the  river 


Fig-  6.    Cone  strainer  of  fine  mesh  in  suction  main, 
City  Water  Company  of  East  St.  Louis. 


strainer,  being  }4-inch  as 
against  I  inch.  The  power 
house  strainer  is  intended  to 
strain  the  water  of  a'.l,  or 
nearly  all,  the  rough  ma- 
terial before  it  enters  the  set- 
tling reservoirs.  So  rapid  is 
the  rate  of  accumulation  of 
this  material  that  the  strainer  must  be  removed  and  thoroughly  cleaned 
once  a  day,  a  feat  requiring  the  labor  of  three  men  for  at  least  two 
hours.  A  square  section  of  main,  as  indicated,  receives  the  cone- 
shaped  strainer,  which  is  removed  and  cleaned  by  removing  the  bolts 
and  iron  top  on  the  upper  side  of  the  main. 

A  check  valve  in  the  mains  prevents  overflow  of  water  into  the  pit 
bottom  while  this  operation  is  being  conducted.  Such  overflow  is  the 
result  of  a  natural  head  at  some  seasons  when  the  river  is  higher  than 
the  bottom  of  the  pit.  The  natural  head  is  never  great,  however, 
usually  expressed  but  a  few  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Difficulties  of  maintenance.  The  same  difficulties  with  bank  sand  and 
mud  are  here  experienced  as  in  the  case  of  the  pumping  station  on 
Cabaret  Island.  At  high  water  the  river  widens  and  the  mud  line*  is 
carried  farther  up  the  bank  and  farther  away  from  the  center  of  the 
channel.  Mud  and  sand  are  deposited  on  the  rip-rap  or  revetment  and 
in  the  suction  main,  frequently  in  the  latter  case  to  a  depth  of  several 
feet.  At  low  water  a  large  share  of  these  deposits  are  again  removed, 
as  the  zone  of  scour  encroaches  on  the  zone  of  deposition,  but  mean- 
while the  strainers  must  be  uncovered  in  response  +o  the  urgent  need 
for  a  continuous  supply  of  water  in  the  delivery  mains.  The  engineers 
of  the  water  company  always  keep  a  jealous  eye  on  the  river,  and  never 
cease  making  soundings  and  other  explorations  that  inform  them  of 
treacherous  muds  and  sand  banks  which  may  at  any  time  encroach  on 
the  strainers  and  bury  them,  and  thus  tend  to  shut  off  the  water  supply 
of  the  city. 


*The  name  Riven  to  the  boundary  between  the  lower  zone  of  bank  deposition  and  the  u  per 
zone  of  bank  scour. 


bowman.]  SUEFACE   WATERS.  35 

Cleansing  processes.  The  strainers  connected  with  the  mains  of  the 
low  pressure  power  house  remove  only  the  coarser  impurities  of  the 
river  water.  In  color  and  as  far  as  fitness  for  use  is  concerned  the 
water  is  identically  as  when  first  drawn.  No  further  description  of  it  is 
needed  for  those  who  have  ever  seen  the  Mississippi :  one  of  the  most 
noble  rivers  in  its  proportions,  it  is  one  of  the  most  unsightly  in  de- 
tailed appearance,  its  dirty  tide  of  yellow  water  always  bearing  enor- 
mous quantities  of  the  silt  and  loess  and  other  materials  constantly  de- 
livered to  it  from  rain-tswept  fields  somewhere  in  its  great  basin.  Be- 
fore the  water  can  be  delivered  to  the  city  hydrants  it  must  pass  through 
a  long  and  complex  process  which  we  shall  now  describe. 

From  the  low  pressure  plant  the  river  water  is  pumped  through  sev- 
eral 30-inch  mains  to  two  reservoirs,  where  it  is  ejected  through  32- 
inch  aerators,  16  in  each  reservoir.  The  aerator  is  nothing  more  than 
a  pipe  placed  in  a  vertical  position,  the  water  being  forced  to  come  out 
of  the  top  under  a  low  pressure,  so  that  it  spills  outward  and  downward 
in  a  thin,  roughly  cylindrical  sheet  or  film.  By  this  means  the  water 
is  pretty  thoroughly  aerated  except  when  the  wind  is  blowing  heavily 
and  the  film  is  broken  up  into  more  concentrated  forms.  A  capping  of 
wood  would  prevent  this,  but  would  allow  of  less  perfect  contact  of 
fresh  air  and  waterrand  the  present  arrangement  therefore  seems  best. 
By  aeration  the  carbon  dioxide,  free  and  combined,  is  removed. 

Once  in  the  reservoirs  the  water  is  parted  from  still  more  of  its  im- 
purities by  a  process  called  "baffling."  Partitions  project  from  one  side 
of  the  reservoir  almost  to  the  opposite  side  and  the  water  is  "baffled" 
by  being  forced  to  pass  around  the  ends  of  the  partitions.  The  move- 
ment is  slow  and  tortuous  and  large  quantities  of  sand  and  mud  held 
in  suspension  up  to  this  time  are  now  deposited  by  reason  of  decrease 
of  velocity  and,  therefore,  of  carrying  power.  The  amount  of  sediment 
deposited  in  the  bottom  of  the  reservoirs  decreases  as  one  passes 
farther  from  the  aerators,  where  its  journey  begins.  On  the  side  of 
the  reservoir  opposite  the  aerators  the  baffled  water  spills  over  the  edge 
of  a  trough  in  a  thin  film.  By  this  means  only  the  pure  water  from  the 
top  is  drawn  off,  and,  spilling  in  a  film,  is  still  further  aerated. 

From  the  first  set  of  reservoirs  the  water  is  now  delivered  by  gravity 
mains  to  a  second  set  of  reservoirs  where  it  arrives  very  much  improved 
in  general  appearance  but  still  discolored.  It  should  be  said  here  that 
the  reservoirs  of  the  whole  system  are  so  arranged  that  from  the  time 
the  water  escapes  from  the  aerators  until  it  has  been  received  at  the 
filters  it  is  moved  solely  under  the  influence  of  gravity.  In  the  second 
and  much  more  extensive  set  of  reservoirs  the  water  is  again  baffled 
and  arrives  at  the  exit  very  noticeably  clearer  and  purer,  although  still 
slightly  murky.  It  is  here  injected  with  a  solution  of  lime  and  sulphate 
of  iron  which  precipitates  some  of  the  remaining  impurities. 

The  next  step  in  the  purification  of  the  water  and  one  looking  toward 
the  complete  removal  of  all  silt  and  mud  is  filtering.  The  general  feat- 
ures of  the  filter  employed  by  the  City  Water  Company  consists  of 
eighteen  cylindrical  filters  of  the  kind  represented  in  the  accompanying 
figure  and"  eight  tub  filterers  different  in  shape  from  the  former  but 
operating  on  precisely  the  same  principle. 


36 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


<t 


T 


FALSE  .BOTTOM 


3? 


7 


,w. 


IKMKWIP^fs^ 


z^v 


Pig.  7.    Sand  filter  employed  by  the  City  Water-Company  of 
East  St.  Louis  and  Granite  City  in  purifying  water. 


The  cylindrical  niters,  Fig.  J,  consist  of  an  iron  shell  made  up  of 
sections  riveted  together,  the  whole  28^  feet  long  and  12  feet  in  diame- 

ter.       Twelve    inches 

1  below  the  top  of  the 

inside  of  the  filter  is  a 
pan  into  which  water 
pours  from  an  eight- 
inch  supply  pipe  called 
a  "riser."  The  sup- 
ply is  maintained  at 
the  point  where  the 
water  spills  gently 
over  the  edge  of  the 
pan.  A  foot  below  the 
edge  of  the  pan  is  a 
layer  of  sand  3^  feet 
thick.  The  sand  used  in  this  process  is  the  so-called  filter-sand  obtained 
from  the  river  bluffs  at  Red  Wing,  Minnesota.  It  is  sharp,  medium  to 
fine  sand,  light  yellow  in  .color,  and  quite  free  from  clay  or  silt.  A 
sand  combining  all  these  qualities  is  not  common,  but  it  could  possibly 
be  supplied  from  somewhere  within  the  borders  of  the  State  if  the 
demand  for  it  were  known. 

As  the  water  passes  through  the  layer  of  filter-sand  and  a  layer  of 
coagulant  the  water  appears  on  the  under  side  of  the  sand-bed  quite 
clear  and  pure.  We  have  here  the  counterpart  of  natural  conditions  of 
seepage  through  sand,  the  beneficial  effects  of  which  are  Well  known. 
Below  the  sand  layer  is  a  bed  of  gravel,  eight  inches  thick,  resting  upon 
a  false  bottom  in  the  cylinder.  This  false  bottom  is  pierced  b  800 
holes  in  each  of  which  is  set  a  two-inch  screen,  similar  to  the  Cook 
screen  so  well  known  in  this  section.  It  is  not  intended  that  these 
screens  or  the  gravel  packed  about  and  above  them  should  play  any 
part  in  the  direct  purification  of  the  water.  The  screens  merely  pre- 
vent filter  sand  from  entering  the  space  between  the  false  and  true 
bottom  and  the  gravel  enables  more  rapid  delivery  of  waer  to  the 
screens  as  well  as  serving  to  a  certain  degree  the  same  function  as  the 
screens.  The  water  accumulating  in  the  bottoms  of  the  cylinders 
drains  through  eight-inch  mains  tributary  to  a  thirty-inch  main  which 
empties  directly  into  the  reservoirs  feeding  the  delivery  mains  that 
supply  the  city. 

After  being  used  for  twenty-four  hours  the  filters  become  clogged 
and  must  be  cleaned.  Usually  only  the  top  foot  of  filter  sand  is 
muddied  and  never  more  than  two  feet.  In  consequence  of  such 
clogging,  the  filters  are  back-flushed,  preferably  at  night  when  the  de- 
mand for  water  by  the  city  is  at  a  minimum.  This  is  accomplished  by 
adjusting  a  system  of  valves  so  that  one  filter  only  out  of  the  eighteen 
is  out  of  use  at  a  time.  Instead  of  allowing  the  filter  to  contribute  to 
the  supply,  pure  water  is  now  forced  into  it  from  the  delivery  reservoir, 
the  direction  of  the  current  being  the  reverse  from  that  shown  in  figue 
7.     At  the  same  time  the  eight-inch  main  that  leads  from  the  pan 


bowman.J  SURFACE   WATERS.  37 

downward  is  connected  with  the  sewer.  With  these  connections  water 
is  pumped  through  the  filter  under  low  pressure  in  order  to'  prevent 
the  tearing  up  of  the  sand  bed  and  its  mixture  with  the  gravel  below. 
The  back-flushing  requires  about  five  or  ten  minutes  when  the  water 
runs  practically  clear.  It  is  a  novel  sight  to  watch  the  change  when 
back  flushing  begins,  the  muddiness  of  the  water  bearing  witness  to 
the  effectiveness  of  the  filter  during  the  preceding  twenty-four  hours. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  carry  the  process  to  the  point  of  absolute  purity 
of  the  filter  sand,  since  this  would  require  much  longer  time  without 
any  effect  on  the  purity  of  the  water  after  filtering  had  been  resumed. 

When  the  operation  has  been  completed  the  original  connections  are 
made  except  that  the  sewer  connection  is  maintained  for  five  minutes 
or  more  until  all  the  mud  dislodged  in  the  filter  sand  by  another  change 
of  current  has  been  removed.  The  sewer  connection  is  then  broken 
and  the  water  turned  into  the  delivery  reservoir; 

The  capacity  of  the  eighteen  cylindrical  filters  is  one-half  million  gal- 
lons each  in  twenty- four  hours.  The  capacity  of  the  tub-filters  is  400,- 
000  gallons  in  twenty-four  hours. 

The  water  is  treated  chemically  before  delivery  to  the  filters  by 
what  is  known  as  the  lime  and  iron  process,  sulphate  of  iron  and 
hydrate  of  lime  being  used.  In  the  autumn  when  leaves  drop  into  the 
river  and  discolor  the  water  the  users  object  to  the  yellow  color.  Alum 
or  sulphate  of  aluminium  is  then  used,  as  it  removes  the  color.  The 
water  company's  chemist,  Mr.  Snell,  says  that  he  dislikes  the  use  of 
this  chemical  and  employs  it  only  when  forced  to  do  so,  and  then  only 
sparingly  and  for  a  short  season. 

Conclusion. 

A  thorough  consideration  of  all  the  problems  and  processes  involved 
in  the  foregoing  discussion  will  convince  one.  that  it  is  no  light  under- 
taking to  render  Mississippi  river  water  fit  for  use.  It  will  be  seen 
that  unless  a  company  is  using  a  very  much  greater  amount  of  water 
than  any  in  this  district,  it  cannot  expect  to  maintain  a  filter  plant  with 
any  hope  of  reasonable  returns. 

The  City  Water  Company  has  undertaken  and  is  successfully  carry- 
ing out  the  plan  of  serving  its  clients  with  clear,  pure  and  palatable 
water.  Its  engineers  and  chemists  have  mastered  many  difficulties  and 
are  entitled  to  great  credit. 

If  the  demand  for  the  cheapening  of  the  cost  of  water  to  the  user  is 
to  be  met,  relief  must  be  found  by  the  use  of  economic  and  political 
means  which  is  not  possible  to  discuss  in  this  report. 

WATER  SUPPLY  FROM  TRIBUTARY  STREAMS. 

General  statement.  The  principal  tributary  streams  of  the  East  St. 
Louis  district  are  the  Wood  river  and  Cahokia  and  Prairie  du  Pont 
creeks  which  are  described  in  detail  on  earlier  pages.  Thev  will  be 
considered  here,  together  with  the  tributaries,  as  a  source  of  potable 
water. 


38  WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

Sources  of  pollution.  One  of  the  most  important  considerations  in 
proposing  the  use  of  stream  water  is  that  of  possible  pollution  or  con- 
tamination from  the  sewage  of  towns  located  along  the  stream  courses. 
A  glance  at  plate  4  will  show  that  none  of  the  tributary  streams  in  this 
district  are  bordered  by  towns  or  villages  of  any  consequence  in  this 
connection.  The  largest  city,  Belleville,  is  located  on  Richland  creek, 
which  drains  south  and  does  not  cross  the  district.  A  few  unimportant 
villages  are  located  here  and  there  on  the  tributary  streams,  as  Peter 
on  Judy's  branch  and  Caseyville  (population  about  500)  on  Canteen 
creek.  None  of  these  has  a  sewage  system  and  none  is  therefore  a 
direct  source  of  pollution  to  stream  water.  The  polluting  material 
drains  underground  and  is  at  least  partially  filtered  through  seepage 
before  it  reappears  in  the  surface  drainage.  Sewage  is  a  much  more 
serious  menace  when  it  is  delivered  to  streams  in  concentrated  form 
by  the  establishment  of  a  sewage  system.  Only  the  most  careful 
analysis  of  the  water  and  Alteration  will  save  it  under  these  conditions, 
and  then  only  when  the  water  is  extracted  a  considerable  distance  be- 
low the  source  of  pollution.  Just  what  this  distance  must  he  in  an 
individual  case  can  only  be  determined  from  observations  on  the 
ground.  It  will  depend  in  part  upon  the  ratio  of  the  volume  of  sewage 
to  the  volume  of  the  stream,  the  increase  in  volume  down  stream  by 
accessions  of  water  from  tributaries,  the  amount  of  sediment  carried  in 
suspension  by  the  stream,  the  velocity  of  the  current,  the  natural 
aeration  of  the  water  by  falls  and  rapids,  etc. 

Varying  turbidity.  The  greatest  difficulty  in  using  the  water  of  the 
smaller  streams  in  this  district  lies  in  the  irregularity  of  volume  and 
the  rapid  change  in  quality  which  takes  place  during  and  after  sudden 
downpours  of  rain.  If  we  turn  to  a  region  where  hard  sandstone  or 
granite  outcrop  over  most  of  the  catchment  area  of  a  given  stream, 
as  in  some  glaciated  regions  (within  the  areas  of  denudation),  we  shall 
find  the  water  of  that  stream  singularly  clear  and  pure,  even  during 
periods  of  rain.  There  is  in  the  assumed  case  either  an  absence  of  soil 
or  but  a  thin  covering  in  favored  localities,  and  but  little  material  is 
dislodged  and  contributes  to  the  stream  to  make  it  roily.  In  the  East 
St.  Louis  district,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  a  heavy  covering  of  loess 
and  drift  and  the  former  acts  with  especial  efficiency  by  virtue  of  its 
lightness  and  corresponding  tendency  to  remain  afloat  or  suspended 
when  once  in  the  power  of  the  stream.  Every  rain  storm  that  passes 
freshens  the  ravines,  gashes  anew  the  fields  barren  from  the  plow  and 
thickens  the  streams  with  land  waste,  washed  down  rivulet  and  gully. 
The  streams  in  question  are,  therefore,  alternately  relatively  clear  and 
excessively  turbid.  Any  filter  plant  utilizing  this  water  must,  there- 
fore, be  as  elaborate  as  to  detail  as  if  the  streams  were  constantly 
turbid.  It  would  be  difficult  also  to  maintain  the  suction  pipe  with 
such  rapid  and  great  changes  in  the  level  of  the  water  and  the  conse- 
quent sudden  and  great  changes  in  the  level  of  the  bottom  of  the  chan- 
nel near  which  the  suction  pipe  would  have  to  be  anchored  in  periods  of 
low  water.  Up  to  the  present  no  use  has  been  made  of  the  water 
from  these  tributary  streams,  but  it  is  extremely  probable  that  such  will 
be  the  case  in  the  future.     The  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in  its  use 


bowman.]  SURFACE   WATERS.  39 

are  no  more  serious  than  those  in  attempting*  to  use  water  from  the 
Mississippi ;  indeed,  not  so  serious,  perhaps,  as  they  are  chiefly  financial, 
not  mechanical.  The  use  of  this  water  would  involve  the  careful 
protection  from  sewage  or  pollution  from  manufacturing  wastes  of 
the  upper  part  of  the  watershed  furnishing  the  supply.  This  respon- 
sibility would  be  greater  than  in  the  case  of  the  Mississippi  water,  for 
two  reasons:  First,  because  the  volume  of  the  tributary  during  most 
of  the  year  would  be  small  and  would  thereby  offer  a  poorer  oppor- 
tunity for  the  extreme  dilution  of  sewage  and  other  wastes  than  is 
offered  by  the  great  Mississippi ;  and,  second,  the  amount  of  sediment 
carried  by  the  small  streams  is  by  no  means  constant,  and,  except  for 
wet  periods  when  the  small  streams  are  in  flood,  is  not  great  enough 
to  collect  the  waste  to  an  extent  that  such  sediment  collects  waste  in 
the  Mississippi.  In  the  process  of  sedimentation  the  precipitated  sand 
and  silt  undoubtedly  drag  down  finely  divided  waste  substances  which 
would  require  by  themselves  a  longer  period  of  time  to  settle.  It 
cannot  be  shown  that  the  mere  presence  of  the  sediment  in  the  water 
assures  cleansing  unless  sedimentation  is  enforced.  The  sediment  is 
effective  as  a  purifier  only,  when  allowed  to  settle  and  carry  down  with 
it  the  injurious  solids  with  which  it  comes  in  contact.1 

Water  Supply  from  Lakes  and  Reservoirs. 

LAKES. 

Position  and  characteristics.  There  are  a  few  large  lakes  in  the 
East  St.  Louis  district  of  value  as  a  source  of  water  supply.  They  are 
almost  exclusively  of  the  type  noted  on  earlier  pages  ;  i.  e.,  ox-bow  lakes 
or  bayous  formed  by  cut-offs  in  meander  curves.  Their  characteristics 
as  to  shape  and  position  have  already  been  described. 

Present  use.  At  the  present  time  but  little  use  is  made  of  the  bayou 
water.  The  Excelsior  Tool  and  Machine  Company  of  East  St.  Louis, 
whose  plant  is  located  near  the  western  end  of  Pittsburg  Lake,  some- 
times uses  the  lake  water,  but  depends  mainly  upon  water  supplied  by 
the  City  Water  Company.  Both  waters  scale  the  boilers,  the 
bayou  Water  more  so  than  the  city  water.  Watef  from  the  bayous  is 
occasionally  used  for  fire  protection,  plants  located  on  or  near  the 
banks  having  hose  connection  with  the  bayous  for  the  purpose. 

Character.  The  bayou  water  is  never  clear  and  must  consequently 
be  filtered  to  be  used  for  most  purposes.  Ordinarily  a  lake  is  clear 
except  at  the  intake,  where  muds  carried  by  tributary  streams  are  in 
process  of  settling  to  the  bottom.  Deposition  takes  place  as  the  water 
moves  slowly  out  toward  the  central  part  of  the  lake,  and  the  stream 
issuing  at  the  foot  of  the  lake  is  ordinarily  clear  and  pure  in  contrast 
to  the  contributing  stream.  In  other  words,  the  lake  acts  as  a  filter 
in  the  course  of  the  stream.  The  filtering  process  is  exhibited  in  the 
case  of  the  bayous  or  ox-bow  lakes,  but  is  not  complete  on  account  of 
the  extreme  turbidity  of  much  of  the  water  delivered  and  the  high  per- 
centage of  very  fine,  light  and  impalpable  material  derived  from  the 


1  Mason,  Water  Supply,  1902,  p.  26. 


40  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  Lbull.  5 

loess.  Before  much  of  this  material  has  settled  to  the  bottom,  the 
supporting  water  has  moved  to  the  point  of  discharge,  and  is  therefore 
still  roily  and  unfit  for  use.  The  ox-bow  lakes  contain  dark,  muddy- 
water.  Their  draining  stream  has  the  same  characteristic,  although  it 
is  true  that  they  are  distinctly  clearer  than  the  water  delivered  at  the 
intake.     (See  later  pages  for  mineral  analysis  of  this  water.) 

Future  use.  By  the  process  of  sedimentation  the  bayous  are  grad- 
ually being  filled  up.  Some  of  them  have  all  but  completed  this  change, 
marshy  tracts  marking  their  former  position.  The  process  is  a  rapid 
one  and  of  interest  in  this  connection  chiefly  because  once  filled  up,  the 
ground  water,  even  though  present  in  large  amounts,  cannot  be  recov- 
ered on  account  of  the  fineness  of  much  of  the  material  deposited  in 
the  bayous.  Screens  could  not  restrain  this  material  and  successful 
wells  would  be  obliged  to  penetrate  the  filling  and  reach  the  coarser 
material  collected  in  the  channel  bottom  during  the  period  when  it  was 
in  active  connection  with  the  river  and  the  scour  of  the  current  swept 
away  the  fine  material. 

Conclusion.  On  the  whole,  lake  water  is  not  a  satisfactory  source 
of  supply  in  this  district,  for  in  addition  to  the  above  disadvantages 
there  is  often  a  rank  growth  of  aquatic  vegetation  along  the  banks  and 
even  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Its  decay  adds  to  the  unwholesome- 
ness  of  the  water,  and,  indeed,  its  very  presence  shields  the  water  from 
the  beneficial  effects  of  sunlight.  Stream  or  well  water  will,  perhaps* 
always  be  used  in  preference  to  lake  water  in  this  area,  except  in 
limited  amounts  in  favorable  localities,  where  the  lake  water  offers  a 
desirable  resource  in  fire  protection. 


RESERVOIRS. 

Present  use.  In  a  few  cases — for  example,  Glen  Carbon  and  Belle- 
ville— the  water  of  streams  is  impounded  in  a  reservoir.  In  the  former 
case  the  stream  known  as  Judy's  branch  is  dammed  and  the  water 
used  in  the  boilers  of  the  engines  which  operate  the  coal  washers  and 
hoisting  apparatus.  It  is  also  employed  in  the  coal  washers  them- 
selves. At  Bellevile  sma  tributaries  of  Richand  creek  have  been 
dammed  and  the  water  used  in  the  boilers  of  the  Star  brewery,  and  it 
is  occasionally  pumped  into  the  city  mains.  At  Edwardsville  a  small 
stream  has  been  dammed  so  as  to  produce  a  reservoir  of  three  and  one- 
haf  acres  in  extent  and  yield  water  for  coal  washing.  The  reservoir 
water  scales  the  boilers.  The  scale  has  been  analyzed  with  the  follow- 
ing results: 

Jan.  10,  1906. 

Organic  and  volatile •  •  •  •   5.9% 

Calcium  sulphate • 90.6% 

Magnesia    • 2.0% 

Silica '•• '•  1-5% 

Physical  characteristics:     Thickness  7-64  in.;   hardness,  "very  hard;"  struc- 
ture, crystalline  and  amorphous. 
Analyst:  W.  P.  Keefaber,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


bowman.J  SURFACE   WATERS.  41 

Except  in  the  case  of  Belleville  the  reservoir  water  is  nowhere  used 
for  drinking  purposes,  and  even  in  this  case  to  a  limited  extent  only  at 
infrequent  intervals.  Just  beyond  the  southern  limits  of  the  East  St. 
Louis  district  reservoirs  are  a  more  common  .feature  of  water  supply 
and  a  few  notes  on  them  may  be  of  interest  here. 

Waterloo  system.  The  village  of  Waterloo  is  equipped  with  a  water 
system  dependent  on  a  reservoir  two  miles  south  of  the  village.  The 
chief  object  of  the  system  is  fire  protection,  although  about  200  citizens 
use  the  public  water  for  drinking  and  other  domestic  purposes.  About 
1,000,000  gallons  are  pumped  to  the  village  daily.  The  reservoir  is 
several  acres  in  extent.  It  is  supplied  by  water  from  springs  and  seep- 
age at  the  source  of  a  small  tributary  of  the  Kaskaskia  river.  It  is 
divided  into  two  sections,  an  upper  and  a  lower,  the  pumping  station 
being  located  at  the  foot  of  the  lower  section,  where  a  dam  constrains 
the  impounded  water.  The  upper  section  contains  a  small  growth  of 
sedges,  grasses,  pond  lilies  and  other  moisture  loving  plants.  A  rep- 
resentative view  of  this  upper  section  is  shown  in  Fig.  A,  PL  3.  After 
passing  through  a  tangle  of  water  plants  the  water  engages  a  wier 
in  a  low  dam  on  its  way  to  the  lower  section.  The  lower  section  is 
kept  -quite  free  of  water  plants  anal  presents  a  much  less  unsightly 
appearance.  About  its  margins  ditches  have  been  constructed,  guarded 
on  the  water  side  by  low  ramparts  of  earth.  These  are  intended  to 
prevent  drainage  from  the  adjacent  slopes  finding  acccess  to  the 
reservoir.  They  carry  a  great  part  of  such  drainage  down  to  the  foot 
of  the  reservoir,  where  it  escapes  into  the  natural  stream.  The  upper 
section  is  not  guarded  in  this  manner. 

Recommendations.  The  two  aspects  of  chief  interest  in  the  above 
case  is  the  effect  of  the  rank  vegetation  at  the  upper  section  of  the 
reservoir  and  the  .efficiency  of  the  drainage  precautions  in  the  lower 
section. 

It  is  well  known  that  water  from  shallow  lily-grown  lakes  or  res- 
ervoirs is  likely  to  produce  temporary  diarrhoea  in  most  people,  and 
in  some  cases  this  effect  is  permanent  and  prevents  the  use  of  such 
water.  This  effect  seems  to  be  most  marked  during  the  season  when 
the  plants  are  decaying.  During  the  summer  the  surface  water  is 
warmest  and,  therefore,  lightest,  and  as  a  result  the  low  waters  of 
the  reservoir  are  stagnant,  the  transmission  of  water  occurring  along 
the  surface  only.  But  with  a  change  to  cooler  weather  the  lower 
waters  are  warmer,  the  upper  waters  being  cooled  to  the  temperature 
of  the  cold  air.  Then  the  lower  water  rises,  dark  in  color  and  foul 
in  odor.  These  qualities  result  from  the  lack  of  air  in  the  presence 
of  decaying  vegetation.  There  has  been  no  circulation  of  the  lower 
waters  up  to  this  time  and  in  the  presence  of  decomposing  vegetable 
growth  the  little  oxygen  in  the  water  has  been  consumed.  At  such 
seasons,  therefore,  it  would  seem  that  the  injurious  effects  of  the 
water  would  be  at  a  maximum,  and  some  more  efficient  means  of 
circulation  and  aeration  should  be  provided.  This  could  readily  be 
accomplished  by  arranging  a  short  series  of  little  dams  and  aprons, 
not  unlike  the  steps  of  an  ordinary  stairway,  on  the  lower  side  of 


42  WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

the  dam,  separating  the  two  sections  of  the  reservoir.  A  similar  plan 
might  be  adopted  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lower  section  just  before 
the  water  is  pumped  into  the  village  mains. 

The  growth  of  the  plants  in  the  upper  reservoir  could  perhaps 
at  the  same  time  be  decreased  by  a  covering  which  would  exclude 
the  light.  Ground  waters  are  usually  charged  with  mineral  matter 
suitable  for  plant  food,  and  unless  light  is  excluded  the  higher  organ- 
isms will  be  likely  to  thrive  on  it.  For  this  reason  the  great  reservoirs 
which  supply  the  city  of  Paris  are  kept  constantly  dark  with  good 
results.1  It  would  conduce  toward  the  same  result  thoroughly  to 
clean  and  deepen  the  upper  reservoir,  putting  in  a  coarse  gravel  bot- 
tom and  paving  the  shores  a  few  feet  below  the  level  of  the  water. 
It  is  by  these  means  that  the  city  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  keeps 
its  reservoirs  free  from  vegetation.  The  additional  precaution  is 
adopted  of  cleaning  away  at  intervals  all  grasses  which  have  started 
between  the  blocks  of  paving.  This  method  is  cheaper  than  that  of 
covering  the  reservoir  with  a  roof  and  at  the  same  time  preserves 
the  beneficial,  while  doing  away  with  the  harmful  effects  of  sunlight. 

Regarding  the  efficiency  of  the  drainage  arrangements  in  the  lower 
section,  it  may  be  said  that  polluting  substances  are  not  excluded  wholly 
at  the  surface.  They  may  sink  into  the  ground  and  moving  with  the 
ground  water  enter  the  reservoir.  The  watershed  of  the  reservoir  is 
well  protected  at  Waterloo,  except  from  barnyard  dainage  on  one 
side.  A  barn  is  located  at  the  top  of  the  slope  leading  directly  to  the 
reservoir,  and  much  of  its  drainage  must  sink  into  the  ground  as 
described.  It  would  be  highly  desirable  to  have  the  site  changed  a 
little  farther  from  the  pond.  A  slight  change  to  the  southeast  offers 
drainage  directly  into  the  natural  stream  and  away  from  the  reservoir. 
Contamination  through  pond  water.  The  use  of  stored  water  for 
boiler  purposes  in  mills  on  the  upland  is  ;worth  further  consideration 
by  mill  owners.  The  demands  for  purity  are  not  so  riged  here,  and 
unless  the  pond  or  reservoir  is  used  as  a  dumping  ground  by  resi- 
dents, is  not  likely  to  lead  to  any  injurious  effects  in  nearby  wells. 
One  case  in  which  bad  effects  were  likely  to  follow  was  noted  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  the  district  to  the  south.  On  account  of  its  character 
the  exact  location  is  not  given.  The  reservoir  was  bordered  by  three 
privies,  two  of  which  connect  directly  with  the  water.  One  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  from  the  southeast  corner  of  the  pond  is  a  well,  from 
which  a  family  is  supplied  with  drinking  water.  Careful  leveling 
showed  that  the  level  of  the  water  in  the  well  was  one  foot  eight  inches 
below  the  level  of  the  pond.  It  was  stated  by  the  owner  that  the  level 
of  the  water,  both  in  well  and  pond,  fluctuated  with  the  seasons,  so  that 
the  relation  of  levels  may  be  more  favorable  at  other  times  in  the  year 
than  when  visited  by  the  writer.  If  such  is  not  the  case,  the  condition 
is  certainly  a  dangerous  one,  especially  if  the  conditions  become  long 
standing. 

Conclusion.     The  difficulty  of  securing  a  protected  watershed  in  the 
well  settled  part  of  the  State,  included  in  the  East  St.  Louis  district, 


1  Mason,  Water  Supply,   1902,  p.  276. 


ILLINOIS  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 


Bull.  No.  5,  Plate  3. 


A.    Upper  reservoir  of  the  Waterloo  public  water  system. 


B.    Falling  Spring,   showing  exit  of   underground  stream  at  a  point  half  way  up  the 
Mississippi  bluffs;  and  improvements  for  the  use  of  the  water. 


BOWMAN.] 


UNDEKGKOUND   WATEES.  43 


will  always  mean  a  very  limited  use  of  impounded  water.  The  use  of 
ground  water  recovered  in  shallow  wells  will  be  likely  to  supersede 
even  such  uses  of  stored  water  as  now  exist. 


UNDERGROUND  SOURCES  OF  WATER  SUPPLY. 

(By  Isaiah  Bowman.) 

Water  Resources  oe  the  Mississippi  Flood  Plain. 

Special  features  of  location.  The  natural  position  of  the  Mississippi 
flood  plain  with  respect  to  the  river  which  formed  it  and  the  import- 
ance of  that  river  in  commerce  would  tend  under  any  circumstances  to 
make  its  riparian  population  denser  than  the  population  elsewhere  in 
the  East  St.  Louis  district.  Combining  with  these  physical  circum- 
stances is  the  location  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis  across  the  river  and  the 
natural  expansion,  therefore,  on  the  flood-plain.  The  economic  stimuli 
noted  on  pages  4-6  produce  the  same  effect.  We  thus  have  a  keener 
interest  manifested  by  the  flood-plain  population  in  the  question  of 
water  resources  than  on  the  part  of  others ;  and  the  reader  will  conse- 
quently find  this  section  of  the  report  unusually  detailed  as  to  facts  and 
full  as  to  discussion. 

In  the  matter  of  general  interest  the  unique  position  of  this  district 
makes  it  one  of  the  greatest  importance.  Above  New  Orleans  no  city, 
with  the  exception  of  Greenville,  derives  its  supply  from  the  flood-plain 
waters.  The  renowned  Memphis  water  works  system  derives  its  supply 
from  sources  back  of  the  upland  bluff,  as  does  Helena,  Arkansas,  and 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi.  St.  Louis  derives  its  supply  wholly  from  the 
Mississippi  river,  as  does  East  St.  Louis.  We  have,  then,  a  village  or 
suburban  population  and  manufacturing  interests  demanding  here  a 
greater  supply  than  elsewhere  on  the  whole  flood  plain  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  association  of  upland,  flood  plain  and  river  are  also  in  some 
respects  unique  at  this  point,  as  later  pages  -will  show,  and  inasmuch  as 
no  detailed  study  has  heretofore  been  made  at  any  point  on  the  flood 
plain  above  Louisiana,  the  present  report  may  be  regarded  as  a  pioneer 
in  a  new  district. 

underground  drainage. 

Direction  of  Movement. 

A  preceding  discussion  of  the  hydrographic  features  of  the  district 
has  prepared  the  way  for  an  understanding  of  the  actual  underground 
water  conditions,  as  well  as  the  several  conflicting  theories  among  local 
students  of  these  conditions  in  the  area  under  discussion  regarding  the 
source  of  the  ground  water  and  its  direction  of  flow.  Some  have 
asserted  that  the  source  of  the  ground  water  is  the  Mississippi  river; 
that  the  river  is  constantly  losing  volume  by  seepage  through  the  porous 
sand  and  gravels  which  here  form  its  eastern  bank.  Others  maintain 
that  the  source  is  the  flood  water  which,  when  the  river  is  highest, 


44  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST   ST.    LOUIS.  Lbdll.  5 

overflows  the  flood-plain  and  stands  upon  it  for  some  time,  undoubt- 
edly sinking  into  the  ground  to  some  extent.  Still  a  third  class  con- 
tend that  the  rainwater  which  sings  into  the  upland  seeps  westward, 
and  with  the  upland  streams  which  lose  their  waters  on  the  inner 
margin  of  the  flood-plain  constantly  replenish  the  flood-plain  waters 
to  the  extent  of  causing  them  to  move  westward  to  the  river.  In  each 
case  the  explanation  begins  with  a  well  ascertained  fact,  but  it  may  be 
shown  as  a  general  proposition  that  any  resultant  is  seldom  caused 
by  a  single  condition  of  fact,  but  by  a  combination  of  conditions,  and 
that  the  evaluation  of  each  in  the  general  result  must  be  carefully 
accomplished.  Therefore,  not  only  the  initial  fact,  but  the  logic  which 
makes  use  of  the  fact,  and,  in  addition,  still  other  facts  must  be  scru- 
tinized. 

Level  of  the  Water  Table. 

Relation  to  the  Mississippi.  We  may  dispose  of  the  first  contention 
by  pointing  out  that  during  most  of  the  year  the  ground  water  of  the 
flood-plain  stands  at  a  higher  level  than  the  surface  of  the  Mississippi. 
This  means  that  the  ground  water  is  under  an  actual  head  or  pressure, 
equivalent,  except  for  a  frictional  compound,  to, the  difference  of  level 
between  its  upper  surface  and  the  river.  Since  the  flood-plain  deposits 
are  for  the  most  part  porous,  the  ground-water  cannot  remain  station- 
ary under  this  head,  but  in  response  to  gravity  moves  down  the  slope 
of  the  water  table  towards  the  river.  In  other  words,  the  ground  water 
is  positively  feeding  the  river  most  of  the  year  and  not  being  fed  by  the 
river. 

This  condition  is  well  shown  in  Figure  8,  which  is  based  on  a  draw- 
ing by  Assistant  City  Engineer  P.  B.  Leivy,  of  East  St.  Louis,  through 
whose  courtesy  the  original  drawings  were  obtained  by  this  survey. 
The  figure  represents  a  section  in  East  St.  Louis  practically  at  right 
angles  to  the  river  and  hence  unusually  valuable  in  this  connection. 
The- upper  line  in  the  section  expresses  the  character  of  the  surface, 
and  the  position  of  the  water  table  (the  surface  of  the  ground  water) 
during  the  winter  of  1904-1905,  is  shown  by  the  middle  line.  The  sec- 
tion chosen  was  from  31st  street,  westward  to  the  river  be' ow  the  mouth 
of  Cahokia  creek  and  combines  features  shown  in  part  of  sections  A, 
C  and  D  of  the  sewage  system  of  East  St.  Louis.  It  shows  a  decrease 
from  94  to  67  feet  (datum  being  zero  of  the  St.  Louis  gauge),  or  a 
gradient  of  10  feet  per  mile.  The  importance  of  these  figures  may  be 
appreciated  from  the  fact  that  the  distance  across  the  flood-plain  at  this 
point  is  only  slightly  greater  than  twice  the  length  of  the  above  section. 
Therefore,  the  water  of  the  whole  flood-plain. must  be  moving  toward 
and  not  from  the  river. 

This  general  statement  must,  of  course,  be  modified  to  the  extent  that 
high  level  creeks  supported  by  levees  and  drainage  across  the  flood- 
plain,  feed  by  leakage  the  ground  water  in  their  vicinity.  The  profiles 
here  show,  as  for  example,  along  Cahokia  creek,  a  movement  toward 
the  flood-plain  at  right  angles  to  the  channel,  but  only  so  far  as  the  head 
of  the  creek  water  exceeds  the  head  of  the  ground  water.  Beyond  this 
point  water  again  turns  into  its  general  course  toward  the  river. 


BOWMAN.] 


UNDEEGEOUND    WATEBS. 


45 


This  general  condition  does  not  hold  true,  however,  during  a  period 
of  high  water  when  the  river  is  rising  against  the  outer  side  of  the  re- 
straining levees,  and  stands  higher  than  the  surface  of  the  ground 
water.   Although  this  condition  is,  relatively  speaking,  exceptional  and 


,T///-g2^g_  nf  flood  /o/oin 


Surface   of  ground  water 


Surface   of  ground  water 


Surface-  of  flood  plain 


Ver-fica  I   Scale         ,    zi  ft 
horizontal  <3ca/e      ■  zsofr. 


Fig.  8. 


Section  in  East  St.  Louis  showing  slope  of  ground  water  level  toward  the  Miss- 
issippi River. 


unimportant,  it  must  be  considered  in  appreciating  the  general  result.  It 
is  the  popular  conception  that  at  such  periods  of  high  water  the  ''back- 
flow"  as  it  is  commonly  called  or  the  seepage  from  river  to  flood-plain 
fills  these  deposits  to  the  degree  to  which  they  were  depleted  during  the 
preceding  year.    That  such  a  rate  of  seepage  is  impossible  is  shown  by 


46  WATEE    RESOURCES   OF   EAST   ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

the  results  obtained  by  Professor  Slichter  and  noted  in  "The  Motions 
of  Underground  Waters," *  and  by  his  experiments  on  the  rate  of 
underflow  of  the  ground  water  on  Long  Island  in  19032.  In  the  latter 
case  the  rate  of  movement  was  from  about  two  to  ten  feet  per  day, 
under  normal  conditions.  As  the  loose  textured  glacial  material  of  the 
Long  Island  outwash  plain  may  fairly  be  assumed  to  be  much  coarser 
than  any  of  the  flood-plain  deposits  in  this  district,  the1  rate  of  under- 
flow must  be  here  much .  smaller.  But  even  assuming  the  maximum 
rate  of  ten  feet  per  day,  we  should  have  the  water  moving  but  six  hun- 
dred feet  in  two  months.  True,  the  relative  head  in  the  short  distance 
between  the  bank  of  the  river  and  the  inner  side  of  the  levee  is  prob- 
ably several  times  greater  than  the  head  of  the  ground  water  in  equal 
distances  in  the  outwash  plain  of  Long  Island.  Allowing  for  this,  in  a 
rough  way,  and  considering  the  length  of  the  flood  period  as  one 
month,  we  would  probably  have  a  result  still  decidedly  short  of  1,000 
feet,  or  less  than  one-fifth  of  a  mile.  The  assumption  of  a  month  for 
the  duration  of  the  flood  period  is  based  on  the  hydrographs  of  the  river, 
published  by  the  Mississippi  River  Commission.3 

We  may  conclude  from  this  line  of  reasoning  that  as  far  as  a  con- 
tinuous supply  is  concerned,  lateral  seepage  through  or  below  levees  is 
not  an  important  factor  in  replenishing  the  ground  water  of  the  flood- 
plain. 

Effect  of  inundations.  If  the  flood-plain  is  actually  covered  with 
water  during  a  flood  season,  the  rate  of  increase  in  the  amount  of 
ground  water  is  of  course  much  greater  than  in  the  case  just  discussed.' 
The  area  of  contact  between  water  and  imbibing  earth  is  vastly  in- 
creased the  seepage  is  vertically  downward  and  not  lateral.  The  whole 
earth  becomes  saturated  from  the  normal  level  of  the  water  table  to  the 
surface  and  the  surface  of  the  standing  water  may  then  be  taken  as  the 
temporary  representative  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  ground  water. 
The  moment  the  swollen  stream  contracts  the  accumulated  waters  over 
the  flood-plain  subside  and  soon  the  ground  water  and  river  are  in 
process  of  establishment.  It  is  difficult  to  make  a  statement  of  quanti- 
tative values  in  this  connection.  One  may  say  in  a  general  way  that 
the  opportunity  for  rapid  evaporation  is  good  where  the  ground  water 
directly  after  flood  stands  near  the  surface  or  is  exposed  in  swollen 
bayous  and  that  the  run-off  into  tributary  creeks  must  at  first  be  rapid. 
From  the  measured  rate  of  discharge  of  these  tributary  creeks  it  would 
appear  that  their  normal  regime  is  resumed  as  soon  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Mississippi  and  this  may,  therefore,  afford  us  a  rough  measurement 
of  the  time  required  for  flood  water  effect  to  disappear. 

The  period  which  this  effect  covers  and  the  relative  infrequency  of 
complete  submergence  of  the  flood-plain  would  argue  that  even  the 
flooding  of  wide  areas  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  of  importance.  The 
essential  and  characteristic  features  of  the  ground  water  would  seem 
to  be  found  in  some  other  relation  in  which*  conditions  attain  a  balance 
that  is  only  now  and  then  interrupted  by  flood. 


(1)  Water  Sup.  and  Irr.  Paper,  No.  67,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv..  1902. 

(2)  Prof.  Paper,  No.  44,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1906,  pp.  89-116. 

(3)  Annual  Reports,  Mississippi  River  Commission,  1904  and  1905. 


bowman.]  UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  47 

Effect  of  rainfall  The  key  to  the  normal  condition  of  the  ground 
water  is  the  rainfall  upon  the  flood-plain  itself  and  the  supply  from  the 
upland. 

Regarding  the  first  point  it  may  be  said  that  the  mean  annual  rain- 
fall is  about  38  inches  per  year.  The  surface  of  the  flood-plain  is  so 
flat  that  the  rate  of  run-off  is  exceedingly  low.  A  large  part  of  the 
rainfall  sinks  into  the  ground,  perhaps  in  excess  of  50  per  cent;  which 
means  roughly,  half  a  million  gallons  yearly  per  acre,  or  300,000,000 
gallons  yearly  per  square  mile,  or,  on  the  average,  1,000.000  gallons 
per  square  mile  daily.  This  amount,  falling  at  intervals  through  the 
whole  year,  is  a  much  more  important  factor  in  maintaining  the  ground 
water  than  the  flood  waters  which  temporarily  overspread  the  flood- 
plain  and  rapidly  subside.  In  the  case  of  rainfall  a  maximum  absorp- 
tion value  is  attained  by  reson  of  the  flatness  of  the  surface  and  the 
normal  dryness  of  the  ground,  while  in  the  case  of  flood  any  excess  of 
water,  after  the  complete  saturation  of  the  surface  material,  runs  off 
and  does  not  accumulate  as  available  water  for  later  drier  periods. 

Accretions  from  the  upland  ground  water.  The  constant  addition  of 
large  quantities  of  water  to  the  eastern  margin  of  the  flood-plain  by 
streams  has  already  been  noted.  This  not  only  raises  the  level  of  the 
ground  water  along  the  margin,  relative  to  the  surface,  but  its  absolute 
level  is  also  raised  on  account  of  the  absolute  altitude  of  this  part  of  the 
flood-plain  (See  map,  plate  4.)  Well  No.  29  at  an  altiude  of  420  feet 
has  water  15  feet  below  the  surface.  That  is,  the  altitude  of  the  ground 
water  is  405  feet,  while  the  surface  of  Horseshoe  Lake.  2^  miles  south- 
west, is  402  feet.  Compare  also  the  heads  of  the  water  in  wells  No.  26 
and  2J  (Fig.  9.)     In  the  same  way  that  the  rains  falling  at  intervals 


^^1:     --\ 

,  CREEK 

NO.  27 
■BLUFF                    UPLAND 

WDOriALO    LAKE 

FUOD  PLAIN 

ALLUVIAL   fftN 

N0.26 

Fig.  9.    Profile  across  upland  bluffs  one  mile  south  of  Peters,   showing  surface  of  ground 
water  in  relation  to  topography. 

through  the  year  play  a  much  more  important  role  than  flood  waters, 
so  the  constant  addition  of  water  to  the  eastern  margin  of  the  flood- 
plain  must  be  regarded  as  of  more  importance  than  the  transient 
accumulations  which  appear  at  times  of  flood.  Irregularities  in  the 
flood-plain  surface  affect  the  level  of  the  ground  water  to  the  extent  of 
altering  the  above  relation  in  some  cases,  but  the  general  movement  of 
the  ground  water  toward  the  river  may  be  regarded  as  well  established. 
If  the  relation  between  the  amount  of  water  supplied  by  rain  and  by 
streams  from  the  upland  were  known,  undoubtedly  it  could  be  shown 
to  what  extent  the  normal  deformation  of  the  water  table  in  response 
to  topographic  irregularities  is  overcome  by  the  inflow  of  upland* water. 
The  well  records  in  the  area  are  too  widely  scattered,  however,  to  per- 
mit of  any  such  conclusion. 


48  ;  WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

The  two  wells,  Nos.  26  and  27,  shown  in  figure  9,  one  mile  south  of 
Peters,  are  very  instructive  in  this  connection.  They  are  located  but 
250  feet  apart  on  opposite  sides  of  the  bluff  road.  The  westernmost  one 
is  at  the  top  of  the  waste  slope  which  here  forms  the  margin  of  the 
lowland,  while  the  other  is  30  feet  higher,  part  way  up  the  slope  of  the 
upland  bluff.  The  water  level  is  30  feet  in  the  upper  well  and  8  feet 
in  the  lower.  The  surface  of  the  ground  water  at  this  place  and  its 
realtion  to  the  topography  are  expressed  in  figure  9.  This  condition 
may  be  taken  as  representative  of  the  conditions  elsewhere  along  the 
bluff. 

The  water  level  in  wells  located  on  or  near  the  valley  bottoms  cf 
upland  streams  at  the  point  of  debouchure  at  the  upland  bluff  reflect 
the  periodicity  of  the  water  level  in  those  intermittent  sreams.  Well 
No.  22  may  be  taken  as  typical.  In  time  of  high  water  in  the  stream, 
water  may  be  dipped  out  of  the  well  mouth  by  hand,  while  in  the  dry 
summer  season  when  there  is  no  surface  stream  the  well  contains  no 
water  at  all,  the  valley  underflow  being  apparently  at  a  depth  in  excess 
of  the  well  bottom  (16  feet.)  All  the  wells  at  Peters  which  are  located 
on  the  flood-plain  near  Judy's  branch  show  similar  control.  They  vary 
in  depth  from  15  to  50  feet,  according  to  their  precise  location.    . 

In  the  process  of  valley  widening,  detached  or  partially  detached  por- 
tions of  the  upland  appear  occasionally  in  close  proximity  to  the  upland 
bluff.  Many  examples  may  be  noted  on  plate  4.  One  such  occurrence 
is  at  Peters  just  north  of  the  tracks  of  the  Litchfield  division  of  the 
Chicago,  Peoria  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  indicated  as  well  No.  23.  In  con- 
trast to  the  other  wells  in  the  vicinity,  it  is  100  feet  deep,  the  head  of 
the  water  in  it  being  95  feet.  The  well  is  on  the  top  of  the  hill  and  as 
surface  drainage  is  excellent  in  all  directions,  the  groundwater  is  far 
below  the  surface.  Well  No.  24,  but  a  short  distance  away,  at  about 
the  same  elevation,  is  on  the  upland  bluff  and  receives  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water,  from  30  feet  below  the  surface.  It  receives  drainage  from 
the  upland  and  so  has  a  higher  water  level,  although  its  relation  to  the 
run-off  in  its  vicinity  is  similar  to  that  in  well  No.  23. 

CONCLUSION. 

We  may  conclude  from  the  foregoing  that  the  normal  condition  of 
the  ground  water  in  the  flood-plain  is  maintained  by  rainfall  and  tribu- 
tary upland  drainage  which  produce  a  general  movement  of  the  water 
toward  the  Mississippi,  this  general  movement  being  modified  here  and 
there  by  slight  topographic  variations.  The  flood  water  contribution 
is  insignificant  except  in  cases  of  actual  overflow,  and  even  in  the  latter 
case  the  effect  is  temporary. 

OCCURRENCE  AND  RECOVERY  OF  THE  GROUND   WATER. 

Having  considered  the  surface  and  underground  drainage  of  the 
flood-plain  and  noted  its  source,  movement  and  disposition,  we  shall 
now  be  able  to  consider  the  vertical  distribution  and  the  availability  of 
the  flood-plain  deposits. 


bowman.]  UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  49 

Occurrence..  .The  matter  of  first  importance  in  this  connection  is  the 
structure  of  the  deposits,  as  represented  in  figure  4.  It  was  there 
noted  -that  the  chief  characteristic  of  these  deposits  is  their  irregularity. 
The  conditions  of  deposition  were  of  such  extreme  irregularity  that 
practically  no  continuity  in  gravel  or  sand  beds  of  a  given  texture  is 
determinable.  The  shifting  bed  of  the  stream,  the  phenomenon  of  cut- 
offs, the  irregularities  due  to  overflow,  all  these  combine  to  produce 
deposits  of  extreme  variability,  both  vertically  and  horizontally. 

Shallow  wells  (Nos.  43,  49,  113)  indicate  that  the  water  level  occurs 
normally  from  a  few  inches  to  a  few  feet  below  the  surface,  the  pre- 
cise depth  being  dependent  on  the  precise  elevation  of  the  well  head  and 
the  conditions  of  surface  drainage.  Such  wells  are  never  drawn  on 
heavily  and  consequently  need  not  be  immediately  replenished  after  the 
withdrawal  of  water.  Were  the  requirements  greater,  these  wells 
would  be  pumped  dry  very  quickly  for  the  water  is  supplied  from  fine 
sands  through  which  it  must  flow  with  extreme  slowness. 

If  a  constant  draft  must  be  maintained,  a  well  must  strike  what  the 
driller  calls  a  vein,  that  is  to  say,  a  bed  of  coarse  sand  or  even  gravel 
through  which  water  makes  its  way  quickly  to  the  well  bottom  in  re- 
sponse to  the  head  under  which  it  occurs  at  that  depth.  One  may 
inquire  whether,  if  the  gravel  is  supplied  from  above,  the  supply  would 
not  soon  be  temporarily  exhausted  on  account  of  slow  delivery  through 
the  overlying  sands.  This  is  not  true  because  in  the  former  case  de- 
livery through  the  fine  sands  was  made  only  at  the  well  wall  bottom, 
while  the  delivery  to  the  gravel  in  the  latter  case  is  over  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  gravel,  and  the  more  vigorous  the  pumping,  the  greater  the 
area  of  this  contributing  surface. 

Recovery.  The  wells  in  the  flood-plain  deposits  vary  in  depth  from 
10  to  170  feet.  Since  a  greater  supply  can  be  had  by  sinking  the  wells 
to  a  depth  of  40  feet  than  10  feet,  most  individuals  do  this,  the  addi- 
tional expense  not  being  great.  Where  factories  have  put  down  wells 
they  have  usually  gone  deeper,  since  they  need  a  larger  supply  than  for 
household  use.  The  factories  have  sunk  wells  40,  60,  90,  no,  120,  170 
and  in  a  few  cases  360,  400,  1,500  and  2,900  feet.  These  latter  ones, 
however,  reach  beyond  the  depth  of  the  flood  plain  deposits  and  are 
considered  under    "Water  Resources  of  Deeper  Horizons." 

-  The  old  way  of  putting  down  wells  on  the  flood-plain  was  to  dig  them 
with  a  shovel  or  spade  and  put  down  curbing,  usually  of  boards,  to  pre- 
vent the  sand  from  caving  in.  The  water  was  then  drawn  by  a  pulley, 
bucket  and  rope.     Many  of  the  old  wells  are  of  this  type. 

A  simpler,  more  economical  and  healthful  way  of  putting  them  down 
is  now  in  use.  For  household  use  a  sand  point  attached  to  the  end  of 
successive  joints  of  1^4 -inch  or  2-inch  pipe  is  driven  down  through  the 
gumbo,  clay,  sand,  etc.,  until  a  water-bearing  horizon  with  abundance 
of  ^  -  :s  found.  Then  a  pump  it  attached  to  the  last  joint  of  a  series 
of  pipes  which  are  usually  four  feet  in  length  and  the  water  drawn  up 
through  the  screen,  at  the  well  point,  to  the  surface.  Wells  of  this  de- 
scription usually  afford  plenty  of  water  for  the  household  and  for  stock 
and  are  not  expensive. 

-4  a 


50  WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

For  factories  and  other  purposes  larger  sized  casings  are  used,  vary- 
ing from  3  inches  to  12  inches  in  diameter.  The  casing  is  forced  down 
and  the  sand  on  the  inside  removed  by  sand  pumps.  When  the  desired 
amount  of  water  is  found,  a  strainer  usually  of  the  Cook  type  is  lowered 
inside  the  casing  to  the  bottom  of  the  well.  Then  the  casing  is  pulled 
up  until  the  lower  end  reaches  the  top  of  the  strainer,  where  the  two 
ends  join.  The  well  is  now  complete  except  for  the  pumping  appa- 
ratus which  is  installed  later,  thus  leaving  the  strainer  in  contact  with 
the  water-bearing  sand. 

CONCLUSION. 

On  the  whole,  it  is  seen,  both  from  the  preceding  observations  and 
the  tables  of  analyses  and  sections  which  follow  that,  although  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  flood-plain  may  be  recovered  without  great 
difficulty  from  lenses  of  coarser  material  in  the  generally  fine  deposit, 
the  water  when  so  recovered  is  undesirable  for  boiler  purposes  on  ac- 
count of  the  scale  which  forms  from  its  use.  This  condition  can  be 
remedied  by  chemical  treatment  and  thorough  filtration,  but  the  well 
owners  have  generally  regarded  the  erection  of  a  plant  for  this  purpose 
too  expensive.  Consequently,  most  of  them  are  using  city  water.  A 
few  are  earnestly  endeavoring  to  devise  means  for  the  proper  purifica- 
tion of  the  well  water.  On  the  whole,  this  seems  to  be  the  best  line  of 
advance  in  view  of  the  increased  mineral  content  of  the  deeper  water. 
The  erection  of  small  filter  plants  similar  to  those  now  used  by  the  City 
Water  Company  would  seem  to  be  the  most  advisable  plan  for  those 
located  near  the  larger  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi. 

Water  Resources  of  the  Karst. 

Under  this  heading  will  be  discussed  the  water  conditions  and  re- 
sources of  southwestern  part  of  the  East  St.  Louis  district  which  lies 
south  of  Stolle  and  between  the  upland  bluff  and  Hickman's  creek, 
plate  4. 

Difference  between  ground  water  and  karst  water  in  relation  to  suc- 
cessful wells.  As  pointed  out  by  Penck1,  the  terms  ground  water  and 
karst  water  are  not  synonomous,  and  the  laws  which  apply  to  the 
former  cannot  be  applied  to  the  latter  in  attempting  to  serve  the  prac- 
tical interests  of  prospective  well  owners.  If  a  well  is  sunk  into  sand 
or  gravel,  an  adequate  supply  for  domestic  uses  is  usually  obtained 
under  ordinary  conditions  by  placing  the  bottom  of  the  well  a  few  feet 
below  the  top  level  of  the  surface  zone  of  saturation.  Such  a  surface 
zone  of  saturation  is  also  present  in  limestone  in  which  the  phenomena 
of  the  karst  are  developed  and  may  be  reached  in  the  same  way  with 
the  same  assurance  of  success.  But  in  the  former  case  the  water  ab- 
sorbed after  rainfall  sinks  as  a  broad  sheet  vertically  downward 
through  the  interstices  of  the  sand  or  gravel  and  does  not  become  avail- 
able water  until  it  reaches  the  surface  of  the  ground  water.    This  may 


(1)  Op.  cit.,  p.  13. 


bowman.]  UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  51 

be  appreciated  from  the  fact  that  a  well  whose  bottom  lies  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground  water  will,  if  steadily  pumped,  be  replenished  by 
the  lateral  movement  of  the  water  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  water. 
This  lateral  movement  is  merely  an  expression  of  the  uniform  tendency 
of  water  to  assume  a  level  upper  surface,  the  tendency  being  in  this 
case  displayed  as  a  local  coniform  depression  of  the  water  table,  down 
whose  sides  the  water  is  forced  to  move.  The  direction  of  movement 
of  water  sinking  through  pervious  material  is  on  the  other  hand  not 
lateral,  but  nearly  vertically  downward.  The  lateral  component  of 
motion,  which  is  the  motion  required  to  bring  water  to  the  wells,  is  pres- 
ent to  a  slight  degree  only  and  a  well  sunk  to  any  depth  short  of  the 
surface  of  the  ground  water  will,  therefore,  receive  the  more  trifling 
supplies  at  intervals  almost  as  irregular  as  the  intervals  of  rainfall  at 
the  surface. 

The  conditions  are  radically  different  in  a  karsted  region.  The  pres- 
ence here  sink  holes,  funnels,  rifts,  underground  passages,  etc.,  and 
the  part  they  play  in  the  removal  of  water,  has  already  been  noted. 
Rainwater  falling  upon  the  surface  quickly  flows  down  the  steep  slopes 
of  sinks  and  from  the  beginning  of  its  journey  to  its  reappearance  in 
lake  or  spring  or  river  is  in  motion  in  a  definite  channel.  It  is  this  fea- 
ture of  definite  underground  drainage  in  limestone  regions,  which,  per- 
haps more  than  any  other,  has  led  to  the  popular  notion  that  all  ground 
water  flows  in  this  manner.    This  notion  is,  however,  erroneous. 

Seepage  plays  a  far  less  important  role  in  karsted  limestone  than 
under  normal  conditions,  for  the  water  is  conducted  underground  not 
mainly  through  the  tiny  pores  of  the  surface  material  by  definite  chan- 
nels and  openings  and  once  underground  the  movement  is  continued  by 
passages  and  channels  quite  as  well  marked.  In  the  young  and  vigor- 
ous stages  of  karsting  under  ordinary  conditions  the  proportion  of 
water  which  finds  its  way  underground  by  seepage  must  be  very  small 
as  the  hard  rock  would  favor  an  increased  run-off,  but  in  a  thick  de- 
posit of  loess  which  is  very  porous  and  undoubtedly  absorbs  more  rain- 
water than  would  hard  limestone,  a  portion  of  the  rainfall  is  absorbed 
to  be  delivered  to  the  ground  water  by  seepage.  One  is  tempted  to 
speculate  on  the  degree  of  aridity  which  would  be  displayed  here  with- 
out the  covering  of  loess.  Under  present  conditions  the  droughts  of 
summer  are  often  severe  and  with  better  facilities  for  the  quick  re- 
moval of  water,  the  degree  of  aridity  would  probably  be  pronounced. 

Uncertainty  of  supplies  in  karsted  region.  One  of  the  first  conse- 
quences of  the  occurrence  of  water  in  joints,  caves,  underground  chan- 
nels, etc.,  is  the  decided  uncertainty  of  obtaining  shallow  supplies.  The 
rapid  run-off  afforded  by  these  channels  favors  a  much  lower  stand  of 
the  ground  water  than  in  normal  cases  so  that  deeper  wells  are  required 
in  the  karst  for  corresponding  advantages.  But  shallow  dug  wells  are 
cheaper  and  oftentimes  the  only  resource  of  the  farmer,  consequently 
the  occurrence  of  the  karst  water  or  the  water  that  occurs  in  channels, 
etc.,  as  distinguished  from  ground  water,  is  of  the  greatest  concern. 

The  element  of  uncertainty  is  illustrated  by  a  well  located  near 
Burksville  Station,  south  of  the  southern  limit  of  the  area  shown  in  the 
map  (plate  4).  The  well  was  first  drilled  to  a  depth  of  160  fee  through 


52  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

sandstone  and  limestone  and  no  water  whatever  procured.  The  break- 
ing of  the  drill  at  160  feet  caused  the  hole  to  be  abandoned  and  a  well 
four  feet  in  diameter  was  dug  in  the  same  spot  to  35  feet,  or  five  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  sandstone  which  here  underlies  the  loess. 
Seepage  water  which  collects  on  the  surface  of  the  sandstone  supplies 
the  well  and  is  of  good  quality.  To  prevent  the  loss  of  the  water 
through  the  drill  hole,  the  latter  was  plugged.  /'The  limestone  in  which 
the  greater  part  of  the  160-foot  hole  was  drilled  is  extensively  karsted 
about  Burksville,  the  Eckert  cave  being  located  1^2  miles  southwest  of 
the  railroad  station.')  The  sandstone  which  occurs  above  the  limestone 
produces  the  condition  of  the  perched  ground  water  table  analogous  to 
the  condition  on  Long  Island,  described  by  Veatch1.  All  about  the  well 
in  question,  where  the  sandstone  does  not  occur,  wells  are  of  greatly 
varying  depths  and  are  sometimes  entirely  unsuccessful. 

A  still  better  illustration  of  the  uncertainty  attending  well  construc- 
tion is  supplied  by  No.  106.  one  mile  south  of  Stolle.  This  well  is  250 
to  300  feet  from  a  sink  hole  in  which  water  stands  the  year  around,,  and 
at  an  elevation  25  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  sink.  Yet 
a  well  sunk  to  a  depth  of  60  to  70  feet  was  wholly  without  water.  This 
feature,  as  well  as  that  of  adjacent  sinks  with  greatly  varying  water 
levels,  illustrates  the  frequent  entire  independence  of  passages  leading 
underground.  In  rock  thoroughly  jointed,  this  would,  of  course,  be 
impossible  below  the  level  of  the  loess  and  to  a  limited  extent  only  above 
that  level. 

In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  no  means  exist  for  the  determination 
of  successful  sites  for  shallow  wells.  Repeated  trials  over  an  area  an 
acre  or  two  in  extent  are  sometimes  unsuccessful,  while  in  other  locali- 
ties a  second  trial  is  quite  as  often  successful.  In  the  region  shown  in 
plate  4,  south  of  Stolle,  the  depths  of  the  wells  range  from  45  feet  to 
over  100,  and  the  water  level  in  short  distances  at  equal  elevations  has 
a  range  of  at  least  30  feet.  Some  wells  in  favorable  localities  are  sup- 
plied by  seepage,  others  from  underground  streams  or  pools.  In  the 
latter  case,  the  well  is  usually  completed  in  a  small  underground  cavern. 
The  cavern  feaure  is  often  recognized  in  drilling  a  well  here  and  not 
infrequenty  leads  to  the  loss  or  breakage  of  the  drilling  tools. 

SPRINGS   OF   KARSTED  REGION. 

The  reappearance  of  karst  water  at  the  surface  is  usually  in  the  form 
of  springs  or  streams.  Thus  at  Stolle  (No.  108)  a  spring  issues  from 
the  bottom  of  the  Caspar  Stone  Quarry  and  Contracting  Company's 
quarry.  It  delivers  a  4-inch  stream  which  is  used  for  boiler  purposes. 
A  second  stream  of  smaller  side  issues  from  a  crevice  on  the  walls  of 
the  quarry. 

FALLING  SPRING. 

Location  and  relations.  The  most  remarkable  and  important  case  of 
this  kind  in  the  district  occurs  at  Falling  Spring  on  the  upland  bluff 

(1)  A.  C.  Veatch  and  others.  Underground  Water  Resources  of  Long  Island,  New  York. 
Prof.  Paper  No.  44,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1906,  p.  57. 


bowman.  1  UNDEEGEOUND   WATEES.  53 

over  a  mile  south  of  Stolle.  A  large  stream,  equivalent  to  the  flow  from 
a  12  or  15-inch  pipe,  under  a  low  head,  springs  midway  from  a  cliff 
150  feet  high,  and  falling,  maintains  a  small  tributary  of  Prairie  du 
Pont  creek.  This  is  the  opening  or  mouth  of  an  underground  passage 
which  has  been  penetrated  by  explorers  for  several  hundred  yards.  The 
course  may  be  followed  quite  easily  by  stooping  slightly.  The  stream 
is  supplied  from  the  numerous  sinks  which  occur  in  the  upland  imme- 
diately back  of  the  bluff  at  this  point,  and  from  the  linear  arrangement 
and  close  succession  of  the  sinks  at  first  due  south  and  then  slightly 
southwest  of  Falling  Spring,  it  is  probable  that  the  stream  is  supplied 
by  these  sinks  which  mark  the  course  of  the  underground  passage. 
This  relation  between  sinks  and  underground  courses  has  been  noted  by 
several  writers1. 

Improvements.  Falling  Spring  has  been  improved  as  shown  in 
figure  B,  plate  3,  two  troughs  conducting  a  part  of  the  stream  to  tanks 
which  supply  with  water  the  railroad  engines  that  pass  on  their  way 
to  or  from  the  quarry.  The  upper  tank  supplies  a  nearby  quarry  and 
also  a  fountain  a  few  yards  back  of  the  observer  in  ihe  picture.  Fur- 
ther improvements  are  projected — looking  toward  the  utilization  of  the 
water  for  bottling  purposes,  etc.  The  spring  is  one  of  great  natural 
beauty  in  its  setting  of  white  limestone  and  bright  green  foliage  and 
will  undoubtedly  in  the  near  future  lead  to  park  and  garden  improve- 
ments for  the  attraction  of  the  Sunday  visitor  from  St.  Louis  and  other 
nearby  towms. 

Turbidity  of  water  after  rain.  A  direct  result  of  the  covering  of  loess 
which  easily  eroded  and  transported  down  the  sides  of  the  sink  holes 
into  underground  passages,  is  the  muddiness  of  all  karst  water  in  this 
district  after  rains.  In  exploring  Eckert's  cave,  near  Burksville,  the 
writer,  with  Professor  Fenneman,  noted  the  presence  of  large  heaps 
of  loess  dumped  here  and  there  at  the  mouths  of  underground  streams 
tributary  to  the  principal  one.  In  transporting  this  material  large 
amounts  are  carried  in  suspension  and  thus  the  quality  of  the  water  is 
seriously  impaired.  A  sample  taken  from  Falling  Spring  on  June  25, 
1906,  by  this  survey,  directly  after  a  two  or  three-day  period  of  rain, 
was  analyzed  by  the  State  Water  Survey  and  yielded  on  evaporation  a 
total  residue  of  825  milligrams  per  1,000  cubic  centimeters.  This  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  loess  which  gave  the  water  a  yellow  color  not  unlike 
the  color  of  Mississsippi  river  water,  a  very  decided  turbidity  and  an 
earthy  odor. 

Travertine  deposits  at  exit.  The  accumulation  of  the  loess  about  the 
exit  of  the  spring  together  with  the  precipiation  of  the  dissolved  cal- 
cium carbonate  results  in  the  formation  of  great  semi-pendulous  masses 
of  travertine  ,a  muddy  yellow  in  color  and  very  friable  and  light  in 
weight.  The  deposit  is  distinctly  layered.  Extensive  deposits  of  this 
material  a  few  yards  on  either  side  of  the  present  opening  show  the 
changes  in  the  position  of  the  spring  which  have  taken  place  under  the 
influence  of  the  irregular  retreat  of  the  limestone  cliff.  At  various 
points  in  this  vicinity  and  at  about  the  level  of  Falling  Spring  many 


(1)  Penck,  Op.  cit.,  p.  25,  and  others. 


54  WATEK    BESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  Lbull.  5 

little  streams  issue  in  a  similar  manner  and  have  associated  with  them 
similar  deposits  of  travertine.  Occasionally  one  may  see  such  deposits 
at  the  mouths  of  little  cavernous  passages  a  few  inches  in  height  and 
extending  back  from  the  cliff  face.  The  passages  are  often  no  longer 
occupied  by  water  even  after  rains  and  are,  therefore,  indicative  of 
stream  adjustments  within  the  limestone  whereby  streams  have  been 
diverted  from  courses  long  maintained.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  such 
adjustment  may  occur  in  the  future  history  of  Falling  Spring  and  in 
sUch  manner  that  a  lower  and  less  useful  as  well  as  less  picturesque  out- 
let will  be  formed.  The  issuance  of  the  spring  at  a  reasonably  high 
level  will  always  be  assured,  however,  from  the  fact  that  the  level  of 
the  ground  water  is  not  far  below  the  present  level  of  the  exit. 

Varying  quality  of  water.  Several  weeks  after  a  rainy  period  the 
water  of  Falling  Spring  presents  a  very  clear  and  sparkling  appearance 
in  contrast  to  its  previous  muddiness.  A  sample  taken  on  July  23d 
showed  a  decrease  in  the  residue  on  evaporation  to  398  milligrams  per 
1,000  cubic  centimeters,  and  an  entire  absence  of  any  earthy  smell.  A 
very  surprising  change  in  the  general  character  of  the  water  is  also 
noted.  The  sample  collected  directly  after  a  rain  showed  an  alkalinity 
of  83  parts  per  1,000,000,  while  that  collected  during  a  dry  period 
showed  an  alklinity  of  328.  Obviously,  an  increase  in  the  volume 
and  velocity  of  the  karst  water  will  reduce  the  opportunity  for  contact 
with  the  limestone  and  correspondingly  the  amount  of  alkaline  matter 
taken  in  solution;  and  as  the  solvent  acton  of  water  is  further  reduced 
by  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  earthy  matter  carried  in  solution  this 
decrease  during  rains  will  be  still  further  emphasized.  Other  changes 
of  a  chemical  naure  are  noted  in  the  table  of  analyses.  These  are  as 
interesting,  but  not  as  important  as  the  ones  just  considered. 

WELLS  IN  KARSTED  REGIONS. 

Turbidity  of  well  water  in  the  karst.  The  turbidity  of  water  in  wells 
which  reach  the  karst  water  is  also  observed  after  rains  and  is  a1 
nuisance  to  well  owners.  The  causes  are  identical  with  those  noted 
above  and  so  far  as  one  can  see,  the  condition  is  not  preventable.  In 
some  cases  the  weil  owner  has  thrown  salt  into  the  well  in  order  to 
precipitate  the  loess,  but  this  is  quickly  removed  by  the  moving  water 
if  the  well  bottom  is  in  an  underground  stream,  and  if  the  well  bottom 
is  in  a  pool,  the  saltness  of  the  water  renders  it  no  less  unpalatable  than 
the  loess.  The  well  owner  is,  therefore,  obliged  in  some  cases  to  build 
a  cistern  and  store  up  rainwater  as  a  resource  when  the  well  water  is 
not  palatable. 

Contamination  of  karst  water.  A  word  of  caution,  to  well  owners  in 
the  karst  may  well;  find  a  place  at  this  point.  Any  of  the  common 
sources  of  contamination,  such  as  cess-pools,  cemeteries,  etc.,  are  by 
reason  of  the  quick  descent  of  surface  waters  to  underlying  sources 
rendered  unusually  effective  and,  therefore,  unusually  dangerous.  A 
small  cemetery  now  occupies  a  prominent  place  on  the  upland,  only 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  the  springs  in  the  Stolle  quarry.  It  seems 
almost  impossible  that  some  of  the  drainage  from  this  spot  should  not 


bowman.]      '  UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  00 

find  its  way  into  these  springs  to  the  risk  of  the  users  of  the  water. 
That  such  is  actually  the  case  could  of  course  be  determined  only  by 
experiments  similar  to  those  conducted  so  often  in  the  karst  of  the 
Austrian  Adriatic  provinces.  These  consist  in  throwing  large  amounts 
of  aniline  dyes  into  certain  sink  holes  below  which  running  waters  are 
found  and  observing  which  ones  of  the  springs  round  about  are  dis- 
colored. By  this  means  the  pattern  of  the  underground  drainage  and 
the  direction  of  movement  of  the  waters  are  determined.  In  rural 
districts  sources  of  contamination  are  not  usually  grave  on  account  of 
lack  of  sufficient  concentration  of  polluting  material,  but  the  growth  of 
a  large  cemetery  forms  just  such  an  unusual  case  of  contamination  and 
water  supplies  in  the  neighborhood  are  even  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances rendered  doubtfully  pure,  and  in  a  karst  region  are  almost  cer- 
tain to  be  a  source  of  polluion,  and  ulimately  of  epidemic.  A  surface 
stream  that  drained  through  a  cemetery  would  under  most  circum- 
stances rightly  be  regarded  as  unfit  for  use;  even  better  opportunities 
for  pollution  are  offered  by  sub-surface  streams  of  the  type  here  con- 
sidered. 

CONCLUSION. 

As  a  whole,  therefore,  the  karst  waters  of  a  limestone  region  are  less 
safe,  less  constantly  clear,  and  less  available  than  are  the  waters  of  a 
region  of  normal  sub-surface  drainage.  Even  the  ground  water  is  less 
available  than  under  ordinary  conditions,  and  less  safe  on  account  of 
the  quick  descent  of  surface  drainage  which  elsewhere  seeps  slowly 
down  through  porous  materials  and  is,  thereby,  at  least  partly  filtered 
of  its  impurities. 

Water  Resources  of  Deeper  Horizons, 
artesian  conditions. 

Unlike  the  surface  sources  of  water  supply  and  the  ground  water, 
the  deeper  horizons  are  to  a  large  extent  independent  of  surface  drain- 
age, since  the  direction  of  flow  is  determined  by  geologic  rather  than 
topographic  features.  By  referring  to  the  discussion  of  the  geologic  feat- 
ures of  the  district  it  will  be  seen  that  the  rocks  are  composed  of  sand- 
stone, shales  and  limestones  and  that  they  dip  from  the  west  to  the 
east,  producing  artesian  conditions.  This  is  shown  graphically  in  fig- 
ures 2  and  3.  Where  the  outcrop  of  the  water-bearing  strata  is  as  high 
or  higher  than  the  top  of  the  well  the  water  flows  out  on  the  surface, 
producing  a  flowing  well.  In  case  the  outcrop  does  not  reach  so  high, 
the  column  of  water  rises  in  the  well  to  a  point  where  it  equalizes  the 
pressure  in  the  water-bearing  stratum.  This  is  an  artesian  well,  but 
it  is  distinguished  from  a  flowing  well  by  calling  it  a  non-flowing  well. 

Flowing  wells.  The  flowing  wells  within  the  district  tap  the  lower 
geological  formations  since  it  is  only  here  that  the  water  is  found 
under  sufficient  head  to  rise  to  the  surface.  The  flowing  wells  are 
located  as  follows:  Mascoutah,  3,069  feet;  Granite  City,  2,590  feet; 
Peters,  1,506  feet;  Edgemont,  782  feet;  Alton,  1,400  feet;  Monk's 
Mound,  1,552  and  2,100  feet. 


56  WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  >         [bull.  5 

Non-flowing  wells.  The  non-flowing  wells  seldom  reach  below  700 
feet.  The  line  of  demarkation,  however,  between  the  flowing  and  non- 
flowing  wells  is  not  constant,  since  the  artesian  conditions  are  depend- 
ent upon  the  geological  structure  which  varies  locally,  as  well  as  in  its 
general  dip  from  west  to  east.  Most  of  the  wells  of  this  class  reach 
down  to  the  sandstone  member  at  the  base  of  the  coal  measures.  The 
wells  at  Belleville  are  representative  wells  of  this  type. 

Catchment  area.  The  catchment  area  for  the  flowing  wells  is  be- 
yond the  Mississippi  river  along  the  flanks  of  the  Ozark  mountains, 
While  that  of  the  larger  part  of  the  non-flowing  wells  occurs  in  the 
western  part  of  the  district,  the  catchment  area  for  the  Belleville  wells 
which  is  the  largest  region  of  the  non-flowing  wells  occurs  only  10  or 
12  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Belleville. 

Quality.  Unfortunately  the  water  in  the  deep  wells  below  515  feet 
on  the  upland,  and  370-420  feet  on  the  flood-plain,  are  brackish  and 
unfit  for  factory,  city  or  private  use.  In  some  cases  as  at  Mascoutah,  a 
good  quality  of  water  was  found  below  this  depth,  and  the  salt  water 
cased  off,  but  in  the  course  of  4  or  5  years  the  salt  ate  through  the 
casing  and  came  up  with  the  pure  water.  The  water  found  in  the 
St.  Peters  sandstone  is  brackish  in  all  cases  when  reached  in  this  area, 
consequently  in  future  drilling  for  deep  city  or  factory  supply,  it  will 
be  unprofitable  to  go  below  the  first  salt  water  horizon. 

Deep  Artesian  Waters  as  a  Source  of  Pollution. 

General  statement.  One  of  the  points  of  chief  concern  in  the  pene- 
tration of  deep-lying  strata  that  are  water-bearing  is  the  possibility  of 
pollution  of  sweet  water  near  the  surface  by  infiltration  of  mineralized 
water  from  a  greater  depth. 

Illustrations  of  unfavorable  conditions.  The  conditions  leading  to 
such  pollution  may  best  be  understood  from  an  examination  of  several 
specific  cases  of  deep  wells  of  this  kind. 

'  (1)  Well  No.  45,  belonging  to  the  Niedringhaus  Steel  Mills  Com- 
pany of  East  St.  Louis,  is  2,590  feet  deep.  The  surface  of  the  ground 
at  the  well  is  94  feet  above  datum  of  Granite  City,  which  is  313.84  feet 
above  sea  level.  The  water  has  been  piped  to  an  elevation  of  54  feet 
above  the  surface  where  it  overflows  in  a  full  8-inch  stream.  The 
pressure  exerted  by  the  artesian  water  at  the  surface  is  very  great,  45 
pounds  per  square  inch.  This  means  that  the  head  is  approximately 
100  feet  above  the  surface.  On  emerging  from  the  pipe  the  water  is 
quite  clear  and  sparkling,  but  soon  becomes  dark  in  color  and  leaves 
a  black  and  a  yellow  deposit  on  everything  with  which  it  comes  in  con- 
tact. It  is  strongly  charged  with  mineral  substances,  as  the  partial 
analysis  quoted  later  shows. 

(2)  Well  No.  28,  belonging  to  Ferdinand  Keller,  is  located  two 
miles  south  of  Peters.  It  1,506  feet  deep.  It  yields  a  strong  stream  of 
salt  water  and  a  small  quantity  of  oil  at  the  present  time  which  runs  ofT 
at  the  surface  into  a  nearby  creek.  The  well  was  drilled  for  oil,  but 
salt  water  came  in  so  strongly  as  to  prevent  the  making  of  tight  joint 
between  casing  and  rock,  and  after  several  attempts  the  well  was  left 
to  yield  practically  nothing  but  salt  water  as  at  present. 


bowman.]  UNDEEGEOUND   WATEES.  57 

(3)  Well  No.  193.  When  the  deep  well  was  sunk  at  Mascoutah, 
Illinois,  salt  water  was  encountered  at  6,239  feet.  It  was  cased  off  and 
the  well  sunk  to  3,069  feet.  The  water  obtained  at  the  lower  level  was 
sweet  and  came  to  the  surface  through  the  lower  uncased  bore  hole 
and  a  3-inch  pipe  which  reached  down  to  1,500  feet.  In  four  to  five 
years,  however,  the  salt  water  at  3,069  level  has  eaten  through  the 
3-inch  casing  and  the  sweet  and  salt  water  now  mingle  and  flow  out 
at  the  top.  For  the  chemical  analysis  of  the  water  before  the  salty  and 
sweet  water  flowed  together  see  page  76. 

Relations  of  different  water  horizons.  In  all  the  above  cases  it  will 
be  noticed  that  the  head  of  the  deep-lying  water  is  far  greater  than  that 
of  the  upper  waters.  In  fact,  in  the  majority  of  cases  no  flows  exist 
.except  from  the  deeper  horizons,  the  head  of  the  water  increasing 
with  depth  below  the  surface. 

The  possibility  of  pollution  by  the  escape  of  this  undesirable  water 
into  the  upper  horizons  is  commonly  known  in  oil  regions  where  the 
most  stringent  laws  exist  as  to  the  care  of  wells,  either  actually  in 
operation  or  abandoned.  The  care,  it  is  true,  is  exercised  not  from  the 
standpoint  of  preserval  of  drinking  water,  but  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  maintenance  of  oil  and  gas  fields. 

The  matter  of  contamination  from  this  source  has  been  fully  dis- 
cussed in  a  Water  Supply  and  Irrigation*  paper  on  "Well  Drilling 
Methods :  Their  Geological  and  Engineering  Aspects,"  by  the  present 
writer,  and  the  following  discussion  is  adapted  from  that  report. 

Defective  casing.  In  the  case  of  water  wells,  which,  as  a  class,  are 
of  much  wider  distribution  than  either  oil  or  gas  wells,  the  same  care  in 
packing,  plugging  and  casing  wells  is  not  exercised,  though  the  results 
are  sometimes  as  pernicious  as  in  the  preceding  cases,  if  not  of  as  great 
economic  importance.  In  many  states,  as,  for  example,  Michigan, 
Wisconsin,  Washington,  etc.,  it  has  been  made  unlawful  for  a  well 
owner  to  allow  water  from  an  artesian  well  to  escape  in  needless 
amounts  through  the  opening  in  the  pipe  near  the  surface.  Oftentimes, 
however,  it  can  be  shown  that  even  where  such  precautions  are  taken 
large  amounts  of  water  are  being  lost  continually  through  defective 
casing.  If  iron  piping  is  put  into  the  ground  in  the  form  of  a  sewer, 
it  would  not  be  expected  to  last  more  than  perhaps  ten  or  fifteen  years 
at  the  longest,  but  if  it  is  put  into  the  earth  in  the  form  of  well-casing, 
there  is  usually  no  consideration  of  its  longevity.  It  is  tacitly  assumed 
to  last  forever,  while  observation  on  casing  withdrawn  after  having 
been  in  the  earth  both  short  and  long  periods,  shows  conclusively  that 
it  suffers  deterioration  and  decay,  and  should  be  examined  at  short 
intervals  for  resulting  defects. 

Longevity  of  casing.  The  rate  of  decay  of  casing  will  depend  en- 
tirely upon  the  conditions  as  they  exist  in  individual  cases.  Casing 
withdrawn  from  wells  15  to  20  years  old  has  been  found  to  be  in 
reasonably  good  condition  except  at  the  joints,  though  the  usual  exp  ^ri- 
ence  is  that  casing  of  this  age  is  too  badly  decomposed  to  be  withdrawn 
at  all.  except  in  sections,  and  even  this  is  not  always  possible. 

If  the  waters  which  come  into  contact  with  the  casing  are  heav:ly 
charged  with  minerals  their  reaction  on  the  pipe  usually  results  in  their 

*U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


58  WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  & 

more  rapid  decay.  In  one  locality,  Dallas,  Texas,  the  writer  observed 
holes  the  size  of  a  penny  in  casing  which  had  been  withdrawn  after 
having  been  in  the  earth  but  one  year.  The  strong  mineral  waters  in 
one  of  the  formations  of  that  state,  the  Glen  Rose,  had  damaged  the 
casing  so  that  it  was  little  better  than  a  sieve  in  a  round  hole. 

State  laws  regarding  the  problem.  The  only  way  by  which  water 
supply  interests  could  be  protected  in  the  event  of  the  above  conditions 
obtaining  would  be  by  making  a  thorough  examination  of  the  well  hole 
and  exploration  of  jthe  amount  and  quality  of  water  contributing  to  the 
yield  of  the  well.  This  would  be  very  greatly  facilitated  by  having  at 
hand  a  log  of  the  well,  that  is,  a  record  of  the  character  and  extent  of 
each  of  the  formations  through  which  the  bore  hole  had  been  drilled. 
This  has  been  recognized  by  one  state  at  least,  South  Dakota,  in  the 
following  statute : 

"It  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  the  township  board  to  embody  in  the  con- 
tract for  the  sinking  of  said  public  artesian  well  a  proviso  that  the  person 
sinking  said  wells  shall  make  a  record  of  the  depth  of  each  well  and  the 
formation  entered  or  passed  through  in  the  construction  of  the  same,  and 
such  provision  is  hereby  made  an  essence  of  the  contract  and  a  violation 
thereof  shall  be  construed  to  be  a  violation  of  the  contract."  (L.,  1891,  chap. 
80,  sec.  35.) 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  same  state  also  requires  that  every 
person  sinking  an  artesian  well  "provide  for  such  well  a  proper  casing, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  well  from  caving  in,  and  to  prevent  the  escape 
of  the  water  when  it  is  desirable  that  such  water  be  confined." 

It  is  not  clear,  however,  under  the  terms  of  the  law,  precisely  what  is 
meant  by  a  proper  casing,  inasmuch  as  through  the  decay  of  the  casing 
it  may  fulfill  its  function  of  confining  strata  or  water  for  several  months 
only,  while,  again,  it  may  last  over  a  period  of  years.  It  is  not  possibel 
at  this  time  to  take  up  in  greater  detail  the  means  by  which  the  bore 
hole  in  various  conditions  may  be  explored.  It  is  sufficient  here  to 
state  that  such  exploration  can  in  every  case  be  accomplished  along 
scientific  lines,  and  that  more  and  more  is  actually  being  done. 

SPECIFIC  ILLUSTRATION  OF  POLLUTION. 

Two  specific  illustrations  of  some  of  the  above  mentioned  conditions 
have  been  supplied  to  the  writer  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Bacon,  and  are  a  result 
of  experiments  conducted  by  him  looking  toward  the  improvement  of 
the  water  supply  in  the  cities  of  Saginaw,  Michigan,  and  Dallas,  Texas. 
Mr.  Bacon's  kind  assistance  in  putting  this  data  at  the  disposal  of  the 
writer  are  hereby  gratefully  acknowledged. 

Saginaw,  Michigan.  At  Saginaw,  Michigan,  are  located  a  large 
number  of  salt  wells,  many  of  which  have  been  abandoned  for  one 
cause  or  another.  In  the  case  of  the  abandoned  wells  the  bore  hole 
allows  salt  or  brackish  water  to  reach  the  surface  under  the  influence 
of  the  natural  head  of  the  water  together  with  convection  currents  and 
diffusion.  A  part  of  the  city  supply  had,  previous  to  1902,  been  drawn 
from  a  deep  well  system  consisting  of  about  20  bored  wells,  having  an 
internal  diameter  of  4  inches  and  a  depth  ranging  from  89  to  230  feet. 
Most  of  these  wells  are  in  the  bed  rock  and  draw  their  supply  from 


BOWMAN. 


UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  59 


sources  which  have  been  contaminated  by  the  infiltration  of  brine  from 
the  salt  wells.  Up  to  the  time  that  Mr.  Bacon  began  his  investigations 
almost  no  attention  had  been  paid  at  Saginaw  to  the  protection  of  sur- 
face water  from  contamination  of  this  kind.  The  seriousness  of  the  situ- 
ation may  be  appreciated  from  the  fact  that  possible  sources  of  ground 
water  supply  at  Saginaw  are  limited  to  the  loose  sands  and  gravels 
which  overlie  the  rock  and  the  top  of  the  rock  itself.  Manifestly,  the 
only  way  in  which  this  water  can  be  conserved  in  its  original  purity  is 
by  plugging  abandoned  salt  wells  at  a  suitable  distance  below  the  sur- 
face, and  exercising  great  care  in  mainaining  the  casing  in  others  in- 
tact. The  condition  has  been  partly  remedied  by  the  above  means  and 
water  obtained  for  municipal  purposes  from  the  glacial  sands  and 
gravels  overlying  the  sandstone. 

Dallas,  Texas.  The  second  case  is  the  one  illustrated  by  condition  at 
Dallas,  Texas,  where  Mr.  Bacon,  in  January,  1906,  investigated  the 
source  and  yield  of  potable  waters  for  city  use.  Water  is  yielded  by 
four  formations  which  are  named  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence 
downward,  the  Woodbine,  the  Paluxey,  the  Glen  Rose  and  the  Trinity. 
While  these  are  locally  separated  as  indicated  here,  the  Glen  Rose  is 
really  a  part  of  the  Trinity  division.*  The  lower  Trinity  sands  have 
never  been  explored  in  the  Dallas  region  and  their  value  as  water  pro- 
ducers, therefore,  is  unknown;  but  both  the  Paluxey  and  Woodbine 
formations  contain  sweet  water.  Most  of  the  city  wells  derive  water 
at  the  present  time  from  the  Woodbine  and  it  is  the  inadequacy  of 
supply  from  these  sands  which  has  led  to  the  present  investigation. 

The  peculiar  conditions  which  are  to  be  recognized  here  are  those 
arising  from  the  fact  that  one  of  the  city  wells  penetrates  the  Glen 
Rose  formation;  and  the  water  supplied  from  these  sands  is  under 
greater  head  than  that  from  the  overlying  Paluxey.  Moreover,  the 
Glen  Rose  water  is  strongly  mineral.  Its  exact  composition  has  not 
been  determined  for  this  locality,  but  west  of  Austinf  the  upper  Glen 
Rose  beds  contain  strontium,  magnesium  and  sodium.  Many  residents 
of  Dallas  use  the  water  for  its  real  or  supposed  medicinal  value. 

This  mineral  water  strongly  attacks  the  well  casing  so  that  casing 
which  had  been  in  the  well  but  one  year  was  so  seriously  damaged  as 
to  exhibit  breaks  and  checks  in  great  number,  and  several  of  these 
were  observed  to  be  the  size  of  a  penny.  The  threads  at  the  joints 
were  completely  decayed  and  unserviceable  so  that  when  an  attempt 
was  made  to  pull  the  casing  each  length  was  lifted  out  as  it  had  no 
connection  wih  the  next  lower  length.  Its  value,  therefore,  as  a  tight 
casing  was  practically  zero.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  the  Glen  Rose 
water  is  under  greater  head  than  the  Paluxey  and  it  is  seen  that  gradu- 
ally the  Paluxey  sands  Were  becoming  impregnated  with  the  mineral 
substances  in  the  Glen  Rose  water.  While  the  water  is  used  for  medi- 
cinal purposes  by  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  Dallas,  it  is  unpalatable 
as  city  water  and  attempts  to  use  it  as  such  have  proved  unsuccessful. 
Its  temperature  is  high  and  the  contained  salts  give  it  a  most  unpleas- 
ant taste. 


*R.  T  Hill,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv..  18th  annual  report,  1896-97,  part  II,  p.  279. 
tHill,  Ibid,  p.  300. 


60  WATEE    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

By  inserting  a  packer,  with  piping,  to  the  surface,  between  the  Glen 
Rose  and  Paluxey  sands,  the  two  waters  were  separated,  the  mineral 
water  with  high  temperature  coming  up  inside  the  pipe,  and  the 
Paluxey  between  the  pipe  so  inserted  and  the  well  casing.  Differences 
in  head  and  quality  and  temperature  of  water  were  at  once  noticeable, 
although  the  Paluxey  waters  were  to  some  degree  mineralized,  this 
degree  steadily  decreasing  as  the  experiment  continued. 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

These  two  examples  with  the  preceding  general  discussion  are  suffi- 
cient to  show  the  vital  character  of  the  problems  which  they  involve 
and  ought  to  lead  to  the  following  definite  results : 

1.  An  accurate  log  should  be  kept  of  every  well  drilled. 

2.  Every  water-bearing  formation  should  be  carefully  examined  as  to  its 
thickness  and  the  quality  of  the  water  yielded.  ' 

3.  The  head  of  each  separate  water  should  be  accurately  determined  and 
its  relation  established  with  respect  to  other  waters  encountered. 

4.  The  casing  should  be  intact  when  the  well  is  completed  and  should  be 
kept  so,  its  condition  being  determined  from  time  to  time  by  suitable  experi- 
ments. 

5.  A  change  in  the  head  or  quality  of  the  water  should  be  interpreted  only 
when  the  possible  effects  of  defective  casing  are  taken  into  account. 

6.  In  those  states  in  which  the  geological  conditions  are  known  to  be 
such  as  to  favor  contamination  through  the  operation  of  one  or  the  other  of 
the  causes  noted  herein,  laws  should  be  framed  making  the  examination  of 
the  well  casing  and  the  determination  of  the  exact  relations  of  separate  water- 
bearing strata  the  duty  of  each  well  owner  or  well  driller.* 

THE  LOESS  AND  DRIFT  WATERS. 

Source.  All  the  water  found  in  the  loess  and  drift  is  ultimately  de- 
rived from  rainfall.  When  the  rain  fa'ls  upon  the  surface  of  the  loess 
part  of  it  runs  off  and  part  sinks  into  it.  In  both  cases  a  portion  of  it 
is  returned  to  the  atmosphere  by  evaporation.  The  water  which  drains 
from  the  surface  is  called  run  off  and  is  described  on  later  pages. 

The  water  which  sinks  into  the  ground  through  the  interstices  of  the 
loess  and  drift  and  furnishes  the  supply  for  springs  and  wells,  and  in 
some  cases  for  ponds  and  lakes,  is  called  the  ground  water.  At  first 
this  water  moves  vertically  downward  for  a  few  feet  until  it  reaches 
a  zone  where  the  material  is  saturated.  The  upper  surface  of  this  sat- 
urated zone  is  called  the  ground  water  table.  In  rainy  or  wet  seasons  it 
is  found  nearer  the  surface  than  in  rainless  or  dry  seasons. 

Disposition  in  response  to  structure.  The  geological  arrangement  of 
the  material  is  such  that  the  more  porous  loess  occurs  on  top  and  the 
compact  till  below,  with  an  occasional  thin  bed  of  sand  intercalated. 
The  loess  absorbs  water  readily  and  transmits  it  downward  until  it 


*  In  view  of  the  development  of  coal  deposits  in  the  East  St.  "Louis  district  there  would 
seem  to  be  a  further  reason  why  casing:  should  he  maintained  intact  or  the  well  plugged.  The 
deeper  waters  under  great  head,  if  ever  allowed  to  enter  the  Coal  Measures,  would  do  incalcu- 
lable damage,  not  only  by  actually  flooding  the  mines  but  by  saturating  the  strata  so  as  to 
yield  water  loner  after  the  mines  have  been  pumped  dry.  The  state  of  Pennsylvania  has  enacted 
stringent  lnws  providing  specifically  for  the  avoidance  of  this  sort  of  a  calamity,  inasmuch  as 
the  deep  wells  of  the  state  are  frequently  in  the  same  districts  as  the  coal  mines  and  accidents 
of  the  above  description  were  formerly  not  of  uncommon  occurrence. 


bowman.]  "  UNDERGEOUND    WATERS.  61 

reaches  the  ground  water  table,  which  in  some  cases  is  the  lower  part 
of  the  loess  and  in  others  a  lentil  of  sand,  while  in  still  others  the  top 
of  the  till.  The  geological  arrangement  of  the  porous  loess  near  the 
bluffs  facilitates  the  passage  of  the  upland  ground  waters  in  seeking  a 
lower  water  table  on  the  flood-plain  below.  Throughout  the  upland 
the  loess  ranges  from  50  feet  along  the  brow  of  the  bluffs  to  10  feet  10 
miles  back  from  the  edge  of  the  escarpment.  Beyond  ten  miles  it 
rapidly  drops  to  2  to  3  feet  thick  and  continues  thus  over  a  large  part 
of  the  State.  The  till  varies  in  thickness  but  has  the  general  average  of 
20  feet.  In  some  places  the  loess  has  been  removed  and  the  till  occurs 
on  top,  e.  g.  at  the  shallow  well  of  the  Belleville  Water  Works  in  the 
valley  of  Richland  creek. 

SECTION  ON   EICHLAND   CREEK. 

Feet. 

Yellow   till    25 

Black  muck,  resembling  soil 2 

Yellow  clay 6 

Blue   clay    9 

Total   drift   42 

At  this  point  the  well  entered  rock.  Other  typical  wells  are  as 
follows : 

SECTION   OF  COAL    SHAFT  OF  THE   SOUTHERN   COAL   MINING   COMPANY,    SHAFT   NO.    5, 

BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Feet. 

Soil,   black    12 

Clay,  yellow   '. 30 

Clay,  blue   (had  to  use  pick) 66 

"Soapstone"    9 

117 

SHAFT    OF    EDWARDSVILLE    COAL    COMPANY     (MADISON    MINE),    EDWARDSVILLE,    ILL. 

Feet. 

Soil,  black    3 

Clay,   (red  brick  color)    till 26 

Clay,   blue,   sandy    9 

Hard  pan  and  gravel 30 

Soft  clay 1 

"Slate  metal" 16 

Sandstone    15 

100 

In  the  last  example  water  was  found  25  feet  below  the  surface.  No. 
other  water  was  encountered  in  sinking  the  shaft  down  to  222  feet, 
which  is  the  depth  to  coal  bed  No.  6.  This  depth  to  surface  water  is 
the  general  average  throughout  that  part  of  the  upland  within  the 
district.  In  this  region  fifteen  coal  shafts  and  a  representative  number 
of  the  shallow  wells  and  all  of  the  deep  wells  visited,  and  25  feet  was 
found  to  be  the  general  average  depth  to  water.  More  than  that  it  is 
the  only  water-bearing  horizon  of  importance  above  the  400  feet  level. 
The  latter  level  is  considered  under  deeper  horizons. 


62  WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  Tbull.  5 

CITY  AND  VILLAGE  WATER   SUPPLIES   AND   SYSTEMS. 

[By  Chester  A.  Reeds.] 

The  discussions  of  the  preceding  pages  are  based  on  facts,  many  of 
which  pertain  to  the  water  conditions  and  resources  of  cities  and  vil- 
lages. Not  all  the  facts  relating  to  the  water  systems  of  towns  were 
relevant  to  the  discussions,  however,  and  such  were  therefore  omitted. 
They  are  included  here,  for  the  convenience  of  well  owners  and  com- 
munities who  have  an  interest  in  these  systems  beyond  that  part  in- 
cluded in  the  preceding  discussion.  Some  of  the  systems  are  very 
simple  indeed  and  require  a  short  paragraph  only,  while  others,  es- 
pecially those  of  the  larger  towns,  Belleville,  Alton,  etc.,  require  ex- 
tended discussion.  Occasional  recommendations  are  made  for  the 
improvement  of  the  water  system. 

Belleville. 

The  city  of  Belleville  is  a  railroad  center,  and  the  county  seat  of 
St.  Clair  county,  Illinois.  It  is  located  on  high  ground  on  the  Louis- 
ville &  Nashville,  Southern  Illinois  Central  and  East  St.  Louis  & 
Suburban  electric  railroads,  14  miles  southeast  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
It  contains  several  breweries  and  distilleries  and  extensive  manufac- 
turers of 'stoves,  nails,  flour,  steam  engines,  threshing  machines,  pumps, 
drills,  glass,  shoes,  powder,  vinegar,  etc.  The  city  is  underlain  by 
workable  bituminous  coal  of  a  good  quality.  Along  the  railroads 
numerous  shafts  have  been  sunk  which  supply  an  immense  amount  of 
coal  used  in  St.  Louis  and  East  St.  Louis.  These  mines  support  the 
large  mining  population  residing  in  Belleville,  which  in  1890  was 
15,360;  in  1900,  17,484;  in  1906,  20,000  reported. 

The  city  water  is  furnished  in  part  from  artesian  wells  drilled  in  the 
valley  of  Richland  creek  and  in  part  by  impounded  water  from  Rich- 
land creek  and  its  tributaries.  The  impounded  water,  used  to  sprinkle 
the  streets  and  in  some  cases  for  the  locomotives  on  the  railroads,  is 
brought  into  the  pity  through  an  old  system  ten  miles  in  length,  and 
was  the  principal  source  of  supply  preceding  the  advent  of  the  deep 
well  system.  The  present  system  pumps  water  from  18  of  the  30  wells 
which  the  Belleville  Deep  Well  Company  has  sunk,  and  distributes  it 
over  the  city  through  the  ten  miles  of  old  and  30  miles  of  new  mains. 
The  water  is  raised  from  the  wells  to  a  nearby  reservoir  by  means  of 
electrical  driven  pumps.  The  stored  water  is  then  forced  to  all  taps 
of  the  system  by  the  pressure  in  the  reservoir. 

In  addition  to  the  30  wells  of  the  Belleville  Deep  Well  Water  Com- 
pany, 16  other  deep  wells  have  been  sunk  in  and  near  Belleville.  These 
are  operated  by  the  manufacturing  plants  which  consume  an  enormous 
amount  of  water  in  making  their  products.  A  list  of  the  well  owners 
with  the  number  owned  by  each  is  given  in  die  following  table : 


bowman.]  UNDERGROUND    WATERS.  68 

WELLS    AT    BELLEVILLE,    ILL. 

Belleville  Deep  Well  Water  Co 30 

Belleville  Distillery   2 

Western  Brewery 3 

Star  Brewery 3 

Harrison-Switzer  Mill , . 1 

Gas  and  Electric  Company 1 

Citizens'  Ice  Company 1 

St.  Clair  Vinegar  Company 2 

St.  Clair  County  Farm  and  Hospital. . . : 1 

American  Bottle  Company 1 

Belleville  Stove  and  Range  Company. . . . 1 

46 

Of  the  foregoing  number  15  have  been  abandoned  chiefly  because 
they  furnished  an  insufficient  supply  of  water;  12  of  these  belong  to 
the  Belleville  Deep  Well  Water  Company  and  three  to  the  Star 
Brewery.* 

The  depth  of  these  deep  wells  varies  from  400  to  700  feet,  depending 
(1)  upon  the  unevenness  of  the  surface,  (2)  the  dip  of  the  water-bear- 
ing stratum  to  the  east,  and  (3)  the  will  of  the  owner  and  driller  at  the 
time  the  well  was  sunk. 

Along  Richland  creek  in  the  southwestern  and  southern  parts  of  the 
city  the  mouth  of  the  wells  is  approximately  480  feet  above  tide ;  while 
in  the  western  part  in  the  vicinity  of  the  plants,  the  elevation  is  slightly 
above  540  feet;  in  the  northeastern  part  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Star  Brewery,  the  elevation  above  sea  is  a  little  more  than  540  feet. 
It  can  be  seen,  then,  that  between  the  lowest  and  highest  points  there 
is  a  difference  i  nelevation  of  approximately  60  feet. 

From  the  logs  of  wells  secured  at  Belleville  and  adjoining  towns,  it 
is  plain  that  the  water-bearing  stratum  dips  to  the  east ;  and  comes  near 
the  surface  some  12  miles  west  of  Belleville  just  east  of  the  Karsted 
district  which  extends  from  Falling  Springs  south  past  Waterloo  to 
Thebes,  Illinois.  Where  this  outcrop  of  water-bearing  sandstone  ap- 
pears the  whole  country  is  covered  with  porous  glacial  material,  loess, 
add  probably  with  brown  loam  or  till,  so  that  it  is  somewhat  difficult 
to  determine  whether  it  discontinues.  This  geological  fact  is  important, 
however,  since  it  enters  largely  into  the  problem  of  locating  the  source 
and  amount  that  can  be  furnished  to  Belleville  through  the  water- 
bearing sand  stratum.  This  water-bearing. horizon  dips  to  the  east 
in  conforming  to  the  gentle  slope  of  the  western  rim  of  the  Eastern 
Interior  Coal  Field.  From  an  incomplete  section  of  the  deep  wells  at 
Millstadt,  Illinois,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  70-80  feet  of  sandstone 
overlying  the  300  feet  of  hard  limestone  was  230  feet  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground  and  that  the  bed  just  above  it  was  composed  of  shale. 
In  the  wells  of  the  Belleville  Deep  Well  Water  Company  in  the  valley 
of  Richland  creek  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city,  a  sandstone  stratum 
occupying  the  same  relative  position  with  reference  to  the  adjacent 
beds  at  Millstadt  was  struck  400  feet  below  the  surface.  In  a  deep 
well  on  the  Muren  farm,  one  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  the  wells, 
near  the  pumping  station,  87  feet  of  sandstone  was  found  at  a  depth 

*For  detailed  information  of  each  well,  see  well  statistics,  page  73  et  seq. 


64  WATEE    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5- 

of  514  feet,  immediately  overlying  the  986  feet  of  solid  limestcne  be- 
low. At  lVlascoutah,  Illinois,  ten  and  a  quarter  miles  east  of  Be  leville, 
20  feet  of  sandstone  was  encountered  at  a  depth  of  730  feet  in  contact 
with  the  500  feet  of  massive  limestone  below.  In  this  well,  however, 
salt  water  was  present  in  a  45  foot  stratum  of  sand,  545  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  140  feet  of  intercalated  material  is  com- 
posed of  limestone  and  shale  as  in  the  other  we'ls  cited  above.  This 
evidence  goes  to  show  that  there  is  a  decided  dip  of  the  water-bearing 
stratum  from  the  west  toward  the  east.     This  is  shown  in  Fig.  2. 

In  sinking  wells  to  this  stratum  of  sand  the  owners  and  drillers 
were  oftentimes  unmindful  of  the  above  mentioned  geological  features. 
Hence,  when  a  reasonable  supply  of  good  water  was  found,  they  de- 
cided that  a  test  was  needless,  for,  by  going  deeper,  an  amount  large 
enough  to  meet  all  demands  could  be  obtained.  As  they  went  deeper, 
however,  the  good  supply  was  cased  off  and  salt  water  took  its  place. 
In  some  case,  too,  the  driller  was  aware  of  an  abundant  supply  of  good 
water,  but  cased  it  off  for  the  rig  having  once  been  set  up,  the  deeper 
the  well  the  greater  the  profit  to  the  driller. 

Water  is  found  in  some  of  the  sandstone  strata  that  occur  higher 
up,  but  usua'ly  not  in  paying  quantities.  For  this  reason,  most  of  the 
wells  are  sunk  to  the  water  bearing-stratum  of  sandstone  which  oc- 
curs immediately  above  the  thick  massive  limestone  previously  men- 
tioned. This  heavy  limestone  is  probably  Mississippian,  while  the  over- 
lying sandstone  is  probably  the  ''Millstone  grit"  found  immediately 
below  the  coal  measures.  The  water  obtained  from  this  sandstone > 
in  Belleville  is  of  a  fine  quality.  For  the  chemical  analysis  of  repre- 
sentative samples,  see  table. 

The  amount  of  water  in  the  Belleville  wells  is  decreasing.  Mr. 
Slocum,  superintendent  of  the  Belleville  Deep  Well  Water  Company, 
states  that  in  1898  there  were  but  two  deep  wells  drawing  water  from 
this  horizon,  and  that  the  head  was  300.  In  1905  there  were  31  wells 
in  Belleville  drawing  water  from  this  depth  with  a  head  of  only  150 
feet.  This  loss  of  head  is  probably  due  to  two  causes  :  ( 1 )  the  increased 
number  of  wells,  (2)  the  pulling  of  casings  from  abandoned  wells. 
The  fact  that  there  is  a  head  of  water  to  consider  is  due  to  the  existing 
artesian  conditions.  In  its  dip  to  the  eastward,  the  porous  water-bearing 
stratum,  from  which  the  water  is  pumped,  is  overlain  throughout  by 
an  impervious  layer  of  shale  which  keeps  the  water  confined.  Hence, 
when  the  deep  wells  at  Belleville  tap  this  stratum  the  water  rises  until 
the  column  of  water  in  the  wells  balances  the  pressure  of  the  water 
in  the  water-bearing  stratum.  In  sinking  many  wells  to  such  a  stratum 
the  tendency  is  to  draw  off  great  quantities  of  water  in  a  short  time; 
on  the  other  hand,  the  water  which  feeds  these  wells  travels  very  slowly 
through  the  porous  sand,  not  less  than  200  feet  and  not  more  than  one 
mile  during  the  year.  Under  such  conditions  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  head  of  water  is  decreasing,  and  after  steady  pumping  the  sand 
"feels  dry." 

*For  complete  section  of  the  wells  see  well  statistics,  pa^e  73  et  seq. 


rbbds.]  CITY    AND    VILLAGE    SUPPLIES.  65 

The  pulling  of  casing  from  abandoned  wells  permits  the  water  in 
an  artesian  district  to  rise  in  the  holes  to  the  next  pervious  stratum  and 
escape.  In  the  several  logs  of  abandoned  wells  belonging  to  the  Belle- 
ville Deep'  Well  Water  Company,  furnished  to  this  survey  by  Mr. 
Slocum,  the  height  of  the  impervious  stratum  above  the  water-bearing 
ones  varies.  In  well  No.  21  there  is  134  feet  of  shales  between  the 
water-bearing  sandstone  and  the  next  overlying  sandstone  or  pervious 
stratum  in  which  the  water  might  escape.  In  this  case  the  water-bear- 
ing stratum  is  34  feet  thick  and  produced  only  9,000  gallons  per  day, 
an  amount  insufficient  for  economical  equipment  and  operation.  In 
well  No.  22,  which  has  been  abandoned,  there  is  195  feet  of  shale 
between  the  water-bearing  sandstone  and  the  one  overlying.  Here, 
too,  the  depth  of  the  water-bearing  stratum  is  thin  (23  feet),  affording 
only  .9,000  gallons  per  day.  This  well  was  sunk  near  we'd  No.  19 
46  days  after  well  No.  19  was  completed.  The  logs  of  the  two  we'ls 
are  almost  identical,  the  thickness  of  the  strata  being  the  same.  No. 
19,  however,  afforded  only  4  gallons,  per  minute  or  5,760  gallons  per 
day,  while  No.  22  afforded  9,000  per  day.  Although  the  yield  of  each 
abandoned  we'l  is  not  great,  the  combined  yield  of  12  js  sufficient  to  as- 
sist greatly  in  lowering  the  head  of  the  water  in  the  productive  wells. 

Edwardsville. 

Edwardsville,  Illinois,  with  its  good  water,  excellent  sewer,  and 
transportation  facilities  should  make  a  choice  resident  site  for  the  busy 
nerchant  of  St.  Louis  or  East  St.  Louis.  The  water  forced  through 
the  mains  in  the  city  is  supplied  by  a  private  company,  which  obtained 
its  franchise  April  5,  1898.  On  January  26,  1899,  the  present  system 
was  in  working  order  and  ready  for  a  trial  test.  That  test  consisted 
of  throwing  water  from  four  lines  of  hose,  simultaneously,  to  a  height 
of  130  feet,  or  40  feet  more  than  required  by  ordinance. 

Plant.  The  five  wells  and  pumping  station  are  located  at  Poag  in 
the  "American  Bottoms/'  six  miles  west  of  Edwardsville.  The  water 
is  drawn  from  five  8-inch  casings,  which  reach  through  sand  to  a  depth 
of  54  feet.  The  water  runs  into  the  wrells  through  a  20-foot  Cook 
strainer  placed  at  the  bottom  of  each  well.  Water  is  not  pumped 
continuously  from,  any  one  or  two  of  the  wells,  as  it  has  been  found  in 
various  tests  that  the  water  flows  into  them  very  slowly.  This  may  be 
due  to  the  smallness  of  the  screen  openings,  but  more  probably  to  the 
slow  transmission  of  the  water  through  the  sand  ridge  constituting  the 
water-bearing  stratum.  The  first  18  feet  of  this  ridge  is  composed 
of  fine  sand  and  silt.  That  below  18  feet  is  gritty  and  would  make  a  good 
plastering  sand.  It  is  this  gritty  sand  which  is  the  water-bearing  med- 
ium, for  the  water  table  is  about  18  feet  below  the  surface  at  this 
place.  The  wells,  pumping,  station,  and  reservoir  are  arranged  with 
reference  to  one  another  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  diagram.  Fig. 
10. 


5  G 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


RESERVOIR                          o 
1     lG 

b 
IE 

o 
13 

0 

14 

o 

15 

STATION 

^ 

% 

% 

Fig  10.    Edwardsville     pumping' 
station  at  Poag. 


In  constructing  the  pumping  station  the 
engineers  endeavored  to  make  it  as  nearly 
as  it  is  possible  like  a  model  station.  The 
building  is  of  pressed  brick  with  facings  of 
cut  stone.  It  is  30  feet  wide,  56  long,  and 
25  feet  high.  In  the  center  of  the  pump 
room,  which  is  30  feet  square,  is  the  pump 
pit,  a  concrete  well  21  feet  in  diamater.  Here 
are  two  duplex  Gardner  pumps,  each  with 
a  capacity  of  1,000,00  gallons  a  day.*  The 
boiler  house  adjoining  is  supplied  with  a 
double  bank  of  powerful  boilers,  which  sup- 
ply the  force  for  carrying  an  immense 
amount  of  water  to  Edwardsville.  A  tele- 
phone line  from  the  station  to  the  local  ex- 
change furnishes  a  complete  fire  alarm  and  enables  the  engineer  to 
know  when  to  pump  water  out  of  the  reservoir  used  only  in  the  case 
of  fire. 

Mains.  The  pumping  station  at  Poag  is  distant  nearly  six  miles 
from  the  water  tower  in  Edwardsville.  A  12-inch  main  connects  the 
principal  points  of  the  system.  For  the  greater  part  of  this  distance 
the  main  follows  the  right-of-way  of  the  Wabash  railroad,  as  it  could 
not  be  laid  in  the  embankment  used  by  the  road.  The  pipe  went  through 
hills,  along  the  bottom  of  swamps  and  sloughs,  and  up  the  heavy 
grades,  which  constituted  lesser  obstacles,  to  the  water  tower.  From 
thepumping  station  to  the  base  of  the  water  tower  there  is  a  rise  of 
182  feet.  From  the  water  tower  smaller  pipes  lead  out  over  the  city 
to  supply  the  fountains,  fire  plugs,  and  taps.  When  the  plant  was 
installed  the  following  amounts  and  sizes  of  pipes  were  used : 


PIPE   USED   AT  EDWARDSVILLE. 

Length.  Size. 

21,997  feet    12-inch 

8,000  feet 10-inch' 

400   feet - 8-inch 

24,000  feet : .   6  inch 

12,000  feet 4-inch 

Water  tower.  The  water  tower  that  occupies  the  lots  immediately 
adjoining  the  city  building  on  Main  and  High  streets  is  neatly  fash- 
ioned. The  foundation  walls  are  8  feet  6  inches  across  at  the  base ; 
3  feet  4  inches  at  the  top,  and  are  of  hard  brick  laid  in  concrete.  The 
tower  itself  is  octagonal  in  form  and  an  even  hundred  feet  in  height. 
It  is  built  of  pressed  brick  with  bands  of  ornamental,  brick  one-third 
and  two-thirds  the  height,  with  a  cap  of  the  same.  The  walls  at  the 
bottom  are  36  inches  thick,  tapering  to  25  inches  at  the  base  of  the 
cap.  The  tank  which  has  a  capacity  of  over  1,000,000  gallons  is  36 
feet  high,  by  22  in  diameter,  and  is  formed  of  plates  varying  from  7-16 
to  5-16  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  over  all  dimensions  of  the  tower 
are:  Brick  work,  100  feet;  tank,  36  feet;  roof,  12  feet,  final,  4  feet; 
total.   162  feet.     Small  windows  in  each  section  afrord  light  to  the 


reeds. I  CITY    AND    VILLAGE    SUPPLIES.  67 

stairway,  which  ascends  on  each  side  of  the  io-inch  feed  pipe  up  the 
center  of  the  tower.  Around  the  outside  of  the  tower  at  the  base  of 
the  tank  runs  a  balcony  from  which  an  iron  ladder  leads  to  the  top 
of  the  tank. 

Cost.  One  year  after  the  company  had  obtained  its  franchise,  "it 
had  expended,  April  14,  1899,  $65,000.  This  amount  does  not  include 
any  expenditure  for  right-of-way  or  a  single  item  for  salary  or  work 
of  any  officer  or  stockholder.  The  plant  was  built  at  a  time  when  ma- 
terial of  all  kinds  was  at  the  lowest  point  it  had  been  for  years.  Iron 
pipe  was  worth  only  $14.50  a  ton." 

As  the  city  grows  larger  the  plant  is  increased  to  meet  its  needs. 
During  the  last  few  years  one  additional  well  has  been  put  down  at 
the  pumping  station  and  some  of  the  city  mains  extended.  There 
are,  however,  many  people  in  the  city  still  using  cisterns  and  shallow 
wells.  In  a  town  as  old  and  as  large  as  Edwardsville  there  is  much 
danger  in  using  shallow  water,  since  it  is  subject  to  contamination  by 
surface  drainage  and  percolating  waters. 

Water.  The  water  supplied  by  the  Edwardsville  water  works  is  a 
good  potable  water  at  the  present  time.  When  the  'wells  were  first 
sunk  the  water  was  found  to  have  the  right  proportions  of  salts  for 
good  drinking  water,  except  that  it  had  too  large  an  amount  of  nitrites. 
This  amount  has  since  decreased  and  the  chemists  now  consider  it  a 
good  drinking  water.    For  analysis  see  p.  78-80. 

At  this  writing  there  are  only  a  few  buildings  on  the  long  sand  ridge 
at  Poag  from  which  Edwardsville  draws  her  water  supply.  This  is 
favorable  for  if  the  number  of  houses  is  allowed  to  increase  the  water 
is  liable  to  be  contaminated  by  surface  infiltration. 

Source  of  supply.  The  source  of  the  water  that  flows  into  the  wells 
at  Poag  has  puzzled  many  investigators.  In  the  light  of  present 
knowledge  of  undeground  water  this  point  has  been  somewhat  cleared 
up.  For  detailed  discussion  as  to  its  source  see  Water  Resources  of  the 
Mississippi  Flood-plain  in  this  report. 

In  this  connection  the  question  arises — why  can  not  Edwardsville 
secure  as  good  a  water  supply  from  deep  wells  as  Belleville?  Wells 
have  been  sunk  in  Edwardsville  as  deep  as  1,500  feet,  but  the  water 
in  every  case  is  reported  saline. 

From  the  topography,  it  is  evident  that  the  district  about  Edwards- 
ville is  not  suitable  for  artesian  wells  as  at  Belleville.  In  the  case  of 
Belleville  the  western  edge  of  the  water-bearing  stratum  is  from  10  to 
12  miles  distant  and  at  least  300  feet  higher  than  where  the  water 
enters  the  wells.  At  Edwardsville  wells  of  the  same  depth  have  water 
under  less  pressure  since  the  massive  limestone  escarpment  (200  feet 
high  at  Falling  Springs  and  Alton)  and  a  large  part  of  the  coal  meas- 
ures have  been  cut  away  from  in  front  of  Edwardsvnle  by  the  action 
of  the  Mississippi  river.  Although  this  same  sandstone  member  does 
appear  under  Edwardsville,  its  water  is  under  less  pressure  and  is 
somewhat  saline. 


68  WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  '  [bult,.  5 

Collinsville. 

Collinsville,  like  Edwardsville,  is  situated  on  high  ground  overlook- 
ing theu  "American  Bottoms."  It  is  a  town  of  5,000  inhabitants  and 
has  zinc  works,  coal  mines,  and  manufacturers  of  brick,  etc.  It  is  lo- 
cated near  the  southern  line  of  Madison  county,  Illinois,  on  the  Van- 
dalia  railroad,  and  East  St.  Louis  &  Suburban  electric  line,  12  miles 
E.  N.  E.  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Throughout  this  district  the  city  is 
noted  for  its  saloons,  .49  in  number.  Although  there  are  said  to  be 
more  than  5,000  people  living  there,  it  is  stated  that  not  a  single  foot 
of  sewer  exists  within  the  town.  With  reference  to  the  water  supply, 
however,  more  heed  has  been  paid. 

In  1889,  a  well  602  feet  deep  was  sunk. .  Water  was  obtained  from 
a  64- foot  stratum  of  sandstone,*  the  top  of  which  was  509  feet  below 
the  surface.  The  water  was  not  of  the  best  quality  for  it  was  slightly 
saline.  The  supply  being  small  and  the  quality  poor,  a  second  well, 
571  feet  in  depth,  was  put  down  in  1895,  to  the  east  of  the  former 
well.  The  water  obtained  was  similar  to  that  found  in  the  first  well. 
The  combined  capacity  of  the  two  being  not  more  than  20,000  gallons 
a  day,  they  were  abandoned.  The  pumping  apparatus  is  still  kept  in  act, 
however,  and  the  water  used  in  case  of  fire. 

Another  deep  well  has  been  sunk  northeast  of  the  town  at  the  St. 
Louis  Smelting  Company's  plant.  This  reaches  a  depth  of  716  feet 
and  affords  a  poor  quality  as  well  as  a  scant  supply  of  water.  The  fact 
that  the  three  wells  yield  an  insufficient  quantity  and  are  saline  tends 
to  prove  the  assertion  that  there  can  be  no  successful  artesian  wells 
here  at  this  depth. 

Following  the  lead  of  Edwardsville,  the  Water  Company  of  Collins- 
ville sunk  wells  in  1901,  in  the  "American  Bottoms,"  near  the  Madison- 
St.  Clair  county 'line,  about  one- fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  bluffs.  Four 
10-inch  wells-  were  sunk  to  a  depth  of  90  feet  by  the  same  method 
used  at  Poag,  and  are  arranged  with  reference  to  one  another  as  shown 
on  the  map,  Plate  4.  The  first  15  feet  of  earth  taken  out  of  the  casing 
represents  a  soil  white  in  color.  It  appears  to  be  reworked  material 
deposited  by  the  small  streams  coming  out  of  the  bluffs.  The  remain- 
ing 75  feet  showed  a  reddish  sand,  without  doubt  part  of  the  alluvial 
deposits  of  the  Mississippi.  A  number  of  tests  as  to  the  capacity  of 
these  wells  has  been  made  and  it  has  been  found  that  any  one  of  the 
four  wells  will  yield  1,000,000  gallons  in  24  hours.  The  water  leaves 
a  red  deposit  on  the  porcelain  bath  tubs  and  wash  bowls  and  a  soft 
red  scale  in  the  boilers.  This  scale  seems  to  be  due  to  an  overabund- 
ance of  iron  in  the  water.    For  analysis  of  the  Avater  see  p.  97. 

The  cost  of  the  old  plant  was  approximately  $20,000  This  included 
two  deep  wells,  pumping  station,  mains  and  water  tower.  The  new 
plant  with  the  four  wells,  pumping  station,  mains  to  city,  and  addi- 
tional mains  in  the  city,  cost  $33,000.  The  water  tower  and  mains  of 
the  old  plant  are  being  used  as  a  part  of  the  new  system. . 

Collinsville  has  made  its  chief  growth  during  the  last  20  years. 
Taking  into  account  the  age  of  the  town,  100  years,  and  the  fact  that 
it  has  never  had  a  sewer  system,  and  it  is  surprinsing  that  approxi- 
mately one-half  of  the  population  still  use  water  from,  shallow  wells. 


bbbds.1  CITY    AND   VILLAGE    SUPPLIES.  69 

Caseyville. 

Caseyville  has  500  inhabitants  and  is  located  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff, 
nine  miles  east  of  St.  Louis,  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  Vandalia 
railroads,  and  the  East  St.  Louis  &  Suburban  electric  railroad.  It 
supports  largely  a  coal  mining  population.-  There  is  no  water  or  sewer 
system.  Shallow  wells  from  25  to  40  feet  deep  afford  an  abundarxe  of 
water. 

Alton. 

Alton,  with  approximately  20,000  people,  lies  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  district,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  three  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Missouri  and  25  miles  above  St.  Louis.  It  is  on  the  Chicago  &  Al- 
ton, Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  and  the  Cleveland,  Cinc'nnati. 
Chicago  &  St  Louis,  the  Alton-East  St.  Louis  electric  and  other  rail- 
roads. It  is  situated  on  a  high  limestone  bluff  which  rises  about  200 
feet  above  the  river  and  is  built  on  hilly  uneven  ground  It  has  a 
public  library,  parks  and  a  collegiate  institution.  It  has  flouring  mi  Is, 
glass  factories,  packing  houses,  and.  manufactures  of  machinery,  car- 
riages, farming  implements,  lead,  lime,  cement,  tobacco,  paving  brick, 
etc.  A  number  of  valuable  quarries  of  limestone  are  located  alcng  the 
river  above  Alton.  It  is  the  market  and  shipping  point  of  several 
counties  from  which  lime,  coal,  building  stone,  and  fruits  are  exported. 

The  city  gets  its  water  supply  from  the  Mississippi  river  through  a 
system  similar  to  the  ones  in  use  at  East  St.  Louis  and  Granite  City. 
The  pumping  station  and  filtering  basins  are  located  on  the  north  b  :nk 
of  the  river  a  mile  above  the  city.  From  here  the  water  is  forced 
through  a  16-inch  pipe  for  one-half  a  mile  over  the  high  bluffs  to  two 
large  galvanized  iron  tanks  where  it  is  stored.  These  in  turn  give  out 
the  water  to  the  various  mains  leading  over  the*  city.  At  the  present 
time  there  is  not  a  sufficient  number  of  filtering  basins  to  fi'ter  ell  of 
the  water  needed.  To  supply  this  deficiency,  unfiltered  water  is  pumped 
directly  into  the  mains,  tending  to  make  the  water  muddy  and  necessi- 
tating frequent  flushing.  At.  the  time  the  plant  was  installed  it  was 
sufficiently  large  to  supply  the  city's  wants,  but  the  filtering  capacity 
has  not  been  increased  with  the  growth  of  the  city..  In  the  near  future, 
however,  four  additional  filters  are  to  be  added,  thus  insuring  Alton 
good,  wholesome  water. 


'TO 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[BuLt/.  5 


The  position  of  the  pumping  station  with  reference  to  the  river,  and 
the  relation  of  its  various  parts,  are  shown  in  the  diagram,  Fig.   n. 

The  intake  pipe  rests  on  a  rock  foundation 
3^2  feet  below  low  water  mark.  By  a  nice 
arrangement  of  dikes  in  the  Mississippi 
river,  above  the  plant,  a  strong  current  is 
thrown  past  the  station  which  keeps  the 
intake  pipe  free  from  sediment.  The  water 
is  pumped  from  the  Mississippi  river  into 
a  well  20  feet  in  diameter  through  a  24-inch 
pipe  1 00  feet  long.  From  the  well  the  river 
water  is  raised  into  the  settling  basin  where 
it  is  treated  with  solutions  of  lime  and  sul- 
phate of  iron,  which  reacting  with  each 
other  and  with  substances  in  solution  form 
a  precipitate  which  carries  down  the  matter 
held  in  suspension.  The  amount  used  varies 
with  the  condition  of  the  water.  On  May 
31,  1906,  1,102  pounds  of  lime  and  334 
pounds  of  sulphate  of  iron  were  used  to  pre- 
cipitate the  suspended  matter  carried  in 
2,500,000  gallons  of  river  water.  The  lime  and  sulphate  of  iron  run 
constantly  into  the  settling  basin  through  iron  pipes  leading  off  from 
separate  dissolving  vats  located  above,  and  at  the  east  end  of  the  basin. 
From  the  settling  basin  the  water  runs  over  into  the  filtering  room, 
where  six  of  the  New  York  gravity  type  of  filters  are.  These  filters 
are  each  15  feet  in  diameter.  8  feet  deep,  and  are  filled  with  sand  to  a 
depth  of  5  feet.  The  sand  is  taken  from  the  river,  but  is  cleaned  before 
being  put  to  use  in  the  filter.  When  the  water  has  percolated  through 
the  filters,  it  is  raised  240  feet  into  the  reservoir  situated  on  the  hi'l 
northwest  of  the  city. 

The  plant  was  completed  nine  years  ago  at  a  cost  of  $220,000. 


N 

y^ 

\      j 

7 

\ 

7 

l/n 

SUCTION    MAIN 

1 

\pi 

MriNO 
STATION 

i 

Mississippi   Biver 

1 

Fig.  11.  Pumping  suit  ion  at  Alton. 


East  Alton. 

East  Alton  is  a  village  of  approximately  550  people  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  district,  four  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Alton.  It  is  a  rail- 
road junction  and  manufacturing  town.  The  Union  Cap  and  Chemical 
Company,  The  Equitab'e  Powder  Manufacturing  Company  and  Beal 
Brothers'  Tool  Shops  located  along  Wood  river  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  town  give  employment  to  a  large  portion  of  the  population. 

The  water  supply  is  obtained  from  private  wells  scattered  over  the 
village.  In  most  cases  these  are  driven  to  a  depth  from  18  to  25  feet 
through  the  sandy  loam  and  quicksand  which  have  been  deposited  near 
the  junction  of  the  east  and  west  forks  of  Wood  river.  The  manufac- 
turing plants  obtain  their  water  supply  from  wells,  although  some  is 
taken  from  Wood  river. 


reeds.]  CITY    AND    VILLAGE    SUPPLIES.  II 

In  1894  the  Big  Four  railroad  sank  a  well  at  its  station  in  East  Alton 
to  a  depth  of  54  feet.  In  drilling  this  well  the  following  strata  were 
encountered. 

Sand 30-35  feet 

Quicksand 12-18  feet 

Sand   12-18  feet 

Clay  (blue  fire  clay) 4  inches 

The  drill  hole  was  8  inches  in  diameter  and  afforded  p'enty  of  water 
for  the  use  of  the  road  at  that  time.  In  1906,  however,  another  8-inch 
well  was  sunk  to  the  same  depth,   100  feet  north  of  the  former  one. 

In  1906  the  Equitable  Powder  Manufacturing  Company  put  down 
a  well  to  900  feet  on  their  property  just  across  Wood  river  north  of 
town.  After  the  first  80  feet  drift  rock  or  varying  texture  was  en- 
countered to  900  feet.  Some  of  the  rock  was  soft,  but  the  greater  part 
of  it  was  a  hard  limestone.  A  salty  water  was  obtained  somewhere 
below  625  feet  which  ruined  the  supply  for  boiler  and  condensing  pur- 
poses. 

In  sinking  the  well  an  18-inch  crevice  was  encountered  at  the  625- 
foot  level.  In  endeavoring  to  sink  the  well  deeper,  the  drill  hole  was 
deflected,  necessitating  a  "shot"  to  straighten  out  the  diffiucutly.  As 
a  result  of  this  shot  a  large  quantity  of  good  water  was  obained.  The 
company  did  not  put  in  a  test  pump  at  this  time  but  continued  drilling 
until  the  900-foot  level  was  reached.  Then  in  a  trial  test  27^  gallons 
were  pumped  every  minute  for  24  successive  hours.  During  this  time 
the  water  was  not  lowered.  On  account  of  its  salinity,  however,  it  is 
of  little  use. 

Glen  Carbon. 

The  water  supply  of  the  village  is  dependent  upon  shallow  wells 
located  on  the  hills  as  well  as  in  the  valley  of  Judy's  branch.  Water 
for  the  boilers  at  the  coal  mines  and  for  the  washer  is  obtained  from 
the  branch  and  from  ponds  which  have  retained  flood  waters.  The 
wells  on  the  hills  are  the  deeper  while  those  in  the  valley,  although  not 
so  deep,  have  more  water  in.  them.  The  wells  on  the  hills  average  56 
feet  in  depth,  with  four  feet  of  water,  while  those  in  the  valley  are  30 
feet  deep  with  25  feet  of  water.  Most  of  the  wells  are  owned  by  the 
Madison  Coal  Company  and  are  one  of  two  sizes,  either  walled  with 
18-inch  tile  or  with  brick.  With  the  brick  walled  ones,  the  diameter 
is  usually  3^  feet. 

Water  has  not  always  been  plentiful  in  Glen  Carbon  and  on  various 
occasions  the  coal  company  has  been  compelled  to  haul  water  from  East 
St.  Louis.  To  insure  a  constant  supply  for  the  coal  washer,  dams  are 
being  built  across  Judy's  branch.  After  a  few  years,  however,  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  lake  thus  formed  above  the  dam  will  be  filled  with  sedi- 
ment ancl  no  flood  water  can  be  caught.  The  coal  company  will  then 
be  forced  either  to  build  additional  dams  or  put  in  a  system  similar  to 
that  furnishing  water  to  Edwardsville  and  Collinsville. 


72  WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOF1S.  [bull.  5* 

East  Carondelet. 

East  Carondelet  is  a  small  village  in  the  "American  Bottoms"  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  district,  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  and  Illinois  Central 
railroads.  Its  water  supply  is  obtained  from  shallow  wells  driven  into 
the  alluvial  deposits  to  a  depth  of  from  25  to  30  feet. 

O'Fallon. 

O'Fallon  has  approximately  2,000  people,  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  district  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern,  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville and  East  St.  Louis  &  Suburban  electric  railroads.  It  is  on  level 
ground  with  an  elevation  of  approximately  570  feet  above  tide.  It  has 
manufactures  of  stoves,  ranges,  flour,  etc.  The  coal  mines  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  support  a  large  part  of  the  population. 

The  water  supply  of  the  town  is  obtained  from  shallow  wells  in  the 
glacial  drift.  The  O'Fallon  Electric  Light  and  Water  Company  have 
put  in  a  small  plant  which  supplies  the  business  and  part  of  the  residence 
portion  of  the  town  with  water.  The  pumping  station  and  wells  are 
located  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  town  near  the  crossing  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Southwestern  and  Louisville  &  Nashville  railroads. 
In  1894  the  company  put  down  three  8-inch  wells  to  a  depth  of  40  feet. 
At-  the  bottom  of  each  there  is  an  8-inch  strainer  of  the  Cook  type.  This 
was  a  necessity  as  quicksand  was  found  at  this  depth.  See  section  of 
well  given  below : 

Thickness.  Depth. 

Brown  loam 35  35 

Black  clay,  hard,  tough •      1  36 

Quicksand 3  39 

The  capacity  of  each  of  the  wells  is  approximately  22,000  gallons 
per  day.* 

Not  far  distant  from  the  wells  of  the  Water  Company  is  a  single 
well  belonging  to  the  Charles  Tiedman  Milling  Company  which  sup- 
plies water  to  the  flour  mill.  This  is  a  dug  well  40  feet  deep,  4  feet  in 
diameter,  and  has  an  approximate  capacity  of  2,500  galons  per  day. 
The  chemical  analysis  of  the  water  of  the  wells  at  the  pumping  station 
and  of  the  mill  are  given  on  a  later  page. 

Mitchell. 

Mitchell  is  a  small  village  on  the  "American  Bottoms,"  seven  miles 
north  of  East  St.  Louis.  The  Wabash,  Chicago '&  Alton,  Cleveland, 
Cincinnati,  Chicago  &St.  Louis,  and  East  St.  Louis  &  Suburban  ra;l- 
roads  pass  through  it.  The  few  inhabitants  obtain  their  water  supply 
from  wells  driven  into  the  alluvial  deposits  to  a  depth  of  from  25  to  40 
feet.  One  mile  north  of  Mitchell  on  the  Big  Four  railroad  a  3-inch 
well  sunk  to  a  depth  of  56  feet  supples  water  for  the  engines  on  that 
railroad.  These  wells  are  on  a  sand  ridge  which  runs  south  from  Wood 
river  to  Mitchell  and  then  east  along  the  north  side  of  Long  lake. 


*For  further  data  see  table  of  well  statistics,  p. 


bbbds.]  OITY   AND   VILLAGE    SUPPLIES.  73 

Nameoki. 

Nameoki  is  a  small  village  half  way  between  Granite  City  and 
Mitche'l  on  the  flood-plain  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Its  water  supply  is 
derived  from  wells  driven  into  the  flood-plain  deposits  to  a  depth  of 
from  25  to  60  feet.    The  water  is  not  of  the  best  quality. 

East  St.  Louis. 

In  the  section  on  surface  sources  of  water  supply  will  be  found  a 
discussion  of  the  principal  features  of  the  East  St.  Louis,  Granite  City 
and  Madison  water  supply.  The  following  data  were  not  pertinent  to 
the  discussion  in  that  chapter  and  are  therefore  included  here. 

The  present  system  was  established  in  1885  by  a  private  company 
which  has  ever  since  retained  control.  L.  S.  vertical  direct-acting 
pumps  are  used  with  a  combined  capacity  of  22,000,000  gallons  in  24 
hours;  8,000,000  gallons  of  water  are  consumed  daily.  Weekly 
analyses  are  made  by  the  chemist  steadily  employed  by  the  company. 
There  are  7,600  consumers  of  the  water  thus  supplied.* 

Granite  City. 

The  system  supplying  water  to  Granite  City  has  already  been  re- 
ferred to  in  the  description  of  the  water  supply  of  East  St.  Louis.  The 
City  Water  Company  of  East  St.  Louis  and  Granite  City  maintains  two 
pumping  stations,  one  at  East  St.  Louis  and  one  at  Granite  City.  The 
former  supplies  water  to  East  St.  Louis  alone,  the  latter  to  Granite 
City,  Madison  and  Venice.  The  pumping  systems  and  filtration  rneth-. 
ods  are  so  nearly  alike  as  not  to  warrant  repeated  description  here. 

.  •         Oher  Towns  and  Villages. 

The  water  resources  of  the  other  smaller  towns  in  the  area,  Peters, 
Stallings,  Dupo,  and  the  like,  are  so  exceedingly  simple  as  not  to  re- 
quire separate  discussion.  In  all  cases  the  supply  is  from  relatively 
shallow  wells  owned  by  individuals.  There  is  no  approach  to  a  public 
system.  The  sanitary  arrangements,  while  in  most  cases  primitive, 
do  not  demand  special  condemnation,  because  of  the  relatively  scat- 
tered population.  Any  further  growth  of  population  in  the  small 
towns,  however,  will  call  for  a  public  system  of  water  supp'y,  ade- 
quately protected  and  complemented  by  a  suitable  drainage  system. 

ANALYSES  AND  WELL  SECTIONS. 

Analyses. 

In  the  pages  and  tables  following  are  given  such  sanitary  ?nd 
mineral  analyses  of  the  waters  of  the  district  as  are  available.  The 
larger  portion  were  made  in  the  laboratory  of  the  State  Water  Survey, 
the  samples  being  in  part  collected  by  officers  of  the  Geological  Survey 
and  in  part  sent  in  by  private  citizens.    The  first  thirteen  analyses  given 


*Fromdata  supplied  by  Dr.  E.  Bartow,  the  director  of  the  State  Water  Survey,  Urbana,  111. 


74  WATEK    RESOURCES    OF    EAST   ST.    LOUIS.  Lbull.  5 

were  furnished  by  the  well  owners,  and  are  given  here  as  supplied  to 
the  survey.  For  purposes  of  comparison  they  have  been  recalculated 
in  the  ionic  form,  and  in  this  form  appear  in  the  table  of  mineral 
analyses.  Following  them  are  analyses  made  in  the  laboratory  of  the 
State  Water  Survey. 

MISCELLANEOUS   MINERAL  ANALYSES. 

Well  No.  41. 
Corn  Products  Company,  Granite  City. 

Grains  per  Gal. 

Silica 6.76 

Oxides  of  iron  and  aluminum 1.8© 

Lime   (calcium  oxide) 8.75 

Sodium  oxide . .   3.148 

Analysis  by  St.  Louis  Testing  and  Sampling  Co. 

Parts  per 
1,000,000. 

Total  solids   532.8 

Volatile  solids 52.2 

Fixed  solids    480.6 

Silica 26.4 

Oxides  of  iron  and  aluminum ,  11.6 

Lime : 157.5 

Magnesia    .' 48.3 

Alkalies 15.8 

Sulphuric   anyhdride 84.6 

Chlorine   18.0 

Carbonic  acid 139.3 

501.5 
Well  No.  42. 

American   Steel  Foundry   Company's  Well  Water.    From  Dearborn  Labora- 
tories, Dec.  19,  1904. 

Grains  per  Gal. 

Silica 1.495 

Oxides  of  iron  and  aluminum .543 

Carbonates  of  lime   6.155 

Sulphate  of  lime 17  680 

Carbonate  of  magnesia 6.423 

Sodium  and  potassium  suplhate .788 

Sodium  and  potassium  chlorides 2.970 

Loss  on  ignition  probably 514 

36.558 
Well  No.  45. 

Rolling  Mills,  Granite  City. 

Grains  per  Gal. 

Sodium   chloride ' 96 

Calcium  sulphate 6.85 

Sodium    carbonate 4.63 

Calcium   carbonate 9.14 

Magnesia   (carbonate?) 4.60 

Silica 1.72 

Oxides  or  iron  and  aluminum  1.72 

29.62 


BOWMAN.] 


ANALYSES.  75 


Well  No.  46. 

American  Car  &  Foundry  Company,  Madison. 

Grains  per  Gal. 

Sodium   chloride    • 1-69 

Calcium  sulphate  • 4-5° 

Calcium   carbonate •  •  •  • 10.49 

Magnesia   (carbonate?)    '. 6.81 

Silica 2-33 

Oxides  of  iron  and  aluminum 1.57 

27.39 

American  Car  and  Foundry  Co. 

Cold  Water,  Deep  Well. 

Grains  per  Gal. 

Sodium   chloride 1-92 

Calcium   sulphate    •  •  •  5-48 

Calcium   carbonate 10.90 

Magnesia  carbonate    •   5.59 

Silica 1.86 

Oxides  of  iron  and  aluminum 87 


Pond  Water,  Madison. 

American  Car  and  Foundry  Company. 

Sodium  chloride 1.34 

Calcium  sulphate 10.25 

Sodium  carbonate   ' 1.75 

Calcium  carbonate i.86 

Magnesia  (carbonate?) 6.00 

Silica : 1.46 

Iron  oxides  and  aluminum 76 

23.42 
Well  No.  44. 

Analysis  of  water  from  250  foot  well  by  the  chemist  of  the  Commonwealth 
Steel  Company  of  Madison.  Well,  the  property  of  the  Hoyt  Metal  Company 
of  that  city.  Below  limestone.  Taken  in  platinum  dish  so  that  there  would 
be  dissolving  of  glassware. 

500  g.  gave  .0109  grams  per  litre.    S03  =  .6358  gr.  per  gal. 

1,000  grams  +  evap.  to  dryness  =  .3086  gr. 

Total  solids,  18.0022. 

1,000  grams  organic  matter  +  water  ==  .0423  gr.,  dried,  102°  =  2,4676. 


g.  per 

g.  per 

litre. 

gallon. 

0.3080 

.0237 

.0235      = 

=      1.3709 

.0002      = 

=      0.0116 

. 1028      = 

=      5.9968 

.0274      = 

=      1.5983 

.0059      = 

.3381 

.0182      = 

=      1.0616 

.1700      = 

=      9.9169 

.0503      = 

=      2.9342 

.0078      = 

.4549 

1, 000  grams  solids,   etc. 

1, 000  grams  insol.  residue 

1, 000  grams  silica 

Iron  oxide  and  aluminum 

1, 000  grams  lime 

1. 000  gram s  magnesia 

500  errams  of  water  clorine 

1,000  grams  calcium  sulphate... 
1,000  grams  calcium,  carbonate. 

1,000  magnesium  (carbonate) 

1, 000  grams  magnesium  cloride. . 


76  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  .  [bull,  i 

Well  No.  28. 

Sample  of  water  from  380  feet  analyzed  by  R.  W.  Starke,  as  follows: 
Urbana,  September  25,  1902.     Sanitary  chemical  analysis. 

(Amounts  stated  in  parts  per  million.) 

Total  residue  by  evap    18,592.4 

Fixed  residue    (mineral  water)    ':  # .' 17,820.8 

Volatile  matter   (loss  on  ignition) 1,131.6 

Chlorine  in  chlorides    . . .  ■ 8,400.0 

Oxygen  consumed '. 48.1 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia 5.8 

Nitrogen  as  albuminoid   . . . . .08 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites .001 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates .079 

Much  sulphate.  Excessive  amount  of  mineral  water  makes  it  unfit  for 
boiler  or  for  ordinary  drinking  purposes.  Upon  surface  of  water  was  notice- 
able a  film  of  what  appeared  to  be  oil. 

Wells  No.  102,  103. 

Belleville,  June  10,  1901.    St.  Clair  Vinegar  Co. 

Parts  per  million. 

Carbonate  of  sodium   811.5 

Carbonate  of  lime   . 22.7 

Carbonate    of    magnesia    .  . ,. Traces 

Chloride  of   sodium 42.6 

Sulphate  of  sodium   14.3 

Silica 21.4 

Volatile   matter : 53.2 

Ammonia None 

Nitrites    None 

965.7 

Analyzed  by  Zymotechnic  Institute,  Chicago. 

Some  difficulty  with  water  for  vinegar  purposes.  Carbonate  of  soda  must 
be  neutralized  by  acid.  To  neutralize  carbonate  of  soda  it  requires  1.36 
pounds  of  muriatic  acid,  (i.  e.  H  CI.  of  33%  strength)  for  every  100  gallons 
of  H2  O. 

Well  No.  193. 

Ph.  H.  Postel  Milling  Co.: 

Gentlemen — We  have  made  a  complete  analysis  of  the  sample  of  water  sent 
us,  including  a  quantitative  determination  of  the  amount  of  solid  residue  per 
gallon,  and  beg  leave  to  report  as  follows: 

Total  mineral  matter,  1,706.5  grains  per  gallon. 

This  residue  is  composed  chiefly  of  chloride  of  sodium  or  common  salt, 
which  would  probably  amount  to  1,500  grains  per  gallon.  The  residue  also 
contains: 

Sulphate  of  lime,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  oxides  of  iron,  slight. 

This  is  a  brine  carrying  all  of  its  salt  in  solution.  On  long  standing  a 
portion  of  the  iron  is  deposited  as  oxide.  The  water  is  unfit  for  drinking 
purposes,  wholly  useless  as  a  water  for  steam  purposes  and  therefore  value- 
less as  a  source  of  water  supply. 

Respectfully, 

Regis  Chauvenet  and  Bros. 


bowman.]  ANALYSES.  77 

Analysis  by  C.  Leudeking. 

The  following  are  the  results  of  my  examination  of  the  sample  of  artesian 
water  you  forwarded  me. 

Grains  per 
U.  S.  gallon. 

Chloride  of  sodium 1,041.21 

Chloride  of  potassium 15.33 

Bromide    of   sodium 2.74 

Iodide  of  sodium    -46 

Bicarbonate  of  lithium Trace 

Bicarbonate  of  iron -29 

Bicarbonate  of  sodium < 3.55 

Bicarbonate  of  magnesium 96.97 

Bicarbonate  of  calcium 184.28 

Sulphate  of  sodium : 71.09 

1,415.92 

Total   solids,    direct   determination 1,409.06 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas,  per  gal 3.1  cu.  in. 

Free  carbonic  acid  gas,  per  gal 14.9  cu.  in.  (?) 

Density  of  water ' 1.017 

Reaction  slightly  alkaline. 

Respectfully, 

.    C.  Luedeking. 
Stanford,  Conn.,  Aug.  12,  1895. 

Second  Analysis  of  "Water  from  Depth  of  3,000  Feet. 

By  Regis  Chauvenet  and  Bros. 

April  27,  1895,  709  Pine  St.,  St.  Louis. 

Grains  of  solid 
residue  per  gal. 

Sodium  chloride 694.49 

Calcium   chloride 391.80 

Magnesium  sulphate 130.50 

Calcium  sulphate    .' 76.05 

Oxide  of  iron 0.76 


1,293.60 


Hydrogen  sulphide  gas  strong  on  first  drawing  from  well.  Organic  matter 
of  either  vegetable  or  animal  origin  wholly  absent.  This  is  a  strongly  satur- 
ated magnesium  water.  It  is  chiefly  characterized  by  the  common  salt  in 
solution  which  makes  it  a  brine  to  the  taste,  wholly  unpalatable  and  likely 
to  prove  purgative  in  its  action.  It  is  perfectly  wholesome  water  as  far  as 
its  constitutents  are  concerned  and  free  from  organic  contamination  of  any 
kind.  It  may  be  compared  with  the  famous  Saratoga  wells,  being  not  unlike 
the  Congress  or  Empire  spring.  It  must  remain  for  the  medical  profession 
to  indicate  how  freely  such  extremely  salt  water  may  be  safely  used.  As  a 
water  for  boiler  use  it  is  wholly  unfit,  but  as  a  source  of  common  salt  it 
may  find  a  use,  though  the  per  cent  of  lime  and  magnesia  interfere  with  the 
purity  of  the  product  first  obtained. 

The  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gives  to  the  water  a  characteristic  smell  and 
©olor,  and  to  such  a  strongly  impregnated  sulphur  water  the  name  "Blue 
Lick"  water  is  commonly  given.  We  suggest  that  you  call  it  "Magnesium 
Sulphur  "Water"  as  the  best  name  to  indicate  its  nature. 

Respectfully, 

Regis  Chauvenet  and  Bros... 


78 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


Lbull.  5 


Sanitary  Analyses  from  State  Water  Survey. 

The  following  analysis  from  the  Department  of  Chemistry,  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  and  the  discussions  accompanying  them  are  included 
here  because  the  samples  are  from  various  places  in  the  district,  and 
are,  therefore,  fairly  representative  of  water  qualities  for  the  shallow 
depth  from  which  most  of  the  samples  were  taken. 


Chemical  Analysis. 

University  of  Illinois,  Uebana,   III.,  Feb.  16,  1898. 

Laboratory  No.  3261. 

Report  of  the  sanitary  chemical  analysis  of  water  sent  by  Chas.  Boeschen- 
stein,  Edwardsville,  Illinois.  Sourse  of  water  55-foot  driven  wells  at  Poag, 
Illinois.  Samples  No.  3261  taken  Feb.  14,  8:00  a.  m.,  after  213  hours  con- 
tinuous pumping.    Amounts  stated  in  parts  per  million: 


No.  2973 

No.  3045 

No.  3044 

[No.  3064 

160. 

157.6 

154. 

152. 

136.8 

141.2 

138. 

134. 

23.2 

16.4 

16. 

18. 

3.2 

2.9 

2.9 

2.9 

1.0 

1.2 

1.1 

.9 

.001 

.002 

.002 

.001 

.014 

.024 

.024 

.014 

.033 

.014 

.023 

.014 

3.0 

3.6 

3.6 

3.6 

Nov.   21 

Dec.   6 

Dec.   10 

Dec.   11 

'No.  3261 


Total  residue  by  evaporation 

Fixed  residue  (mineral  matter) ..-..-. 
Volatile  matter  (loss  on  ignition)  . 

Chlorine  in  chlorides . : 

Oxygen  consumed. 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia 

Nitrogen  as  albumenoid  ammonia, 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates 

Nitiogen  as  nitrates 

Date  of  collection 


154. 

136. 
18. 
2.7 
1.1 

'  " '  .003 
.003 
3.4 

Feb.      14 


The  last  sample,  No.  3261,  shows  great  improvement  over  the  earlier 
samples  with  respect  to  nitrites,  and  from  consideration  of  all  the  circum- 
stances, it  is  my  opinion  that  the  nitrites  have  been  in  the  main  developed  in 
the  water  after  drawing  from  the  well  and  while  in  transit  to  the  laboratory 
here.  Sample  No.  3261  arrived  and  the  test  for  nitrites  was  made  here  within 
nine  hours  of  the  time  of  collection,  while  in  the  other  cases  the  time  between 
collection  and  arrival  here  was  from  24  to  96  hours. 

Aethub  W.  Palmee,  Sc.  D. 

Professor  Chemistry. 

Sanitaey  Chemical  Analysis. 

Water    sent    by    Charles    Boeschenstein,    Edwardsville,    Illinois. 

.  Univeesity  of  Illinois,  Uebana,  III.,  Feb.  5,  1898. 
Laboratory  No.  3224. 

Source  of  water  35-foot,  open  well,  on  north  side  of  court  house  square, 
Edwardsville,  Illinois.  Amounts  are  stated  in  parts  per  million: 

Total  residue  by  evaporation : 593.2 

Fixed  residue  (mineral  matter)    477.2 

Volatile   matter    (loss    or   ignition) 116.0 

Chlorine  in  chlorides 99.0 

Oxygen  consumed 1.5 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia   : 002 

Nitrogen  as  albumenoid  ammonia 024 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites 003 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates 22.0 

Considerable  sulphate. 


bowman.]  ANALYSES.  79 

The  very  high  chlorine  and  the  excessive  nitrates  in  this  water  show  that 
the  supply  comes  originally  from  a  surface  area  which  is  near  by,  and  which 
is  contaminated  by  animal  refuse  matters.  Inasmuch  as  the  albumenoid  is 
low,  however,  it  appears  that  the  organic  matters  are  quite  fully  oxidized 
before  they  reach  the  well.  The  water  may  be  regarded  as  usable  condition, 
at  the  present  moment,  but  such  waters  as  this  are  a  source  of  danger  inas- 
much as  at  any  time  organic  matters  are  likely  to  reach  the  well  before 
becoming  completely  oxidized  and  consequently  causing  pollution  and  convey- 
ing disease. 

A.  W.  Palmee, 

Professor  of  Chemistry. 

Sanitary  Chemical  Analysis. 
Water  sent  by  Chas.  Boeschenstein,  Edwardsville,  Illinois. 

November  6,  1897. 

Source  of  water  55-foot  driven  well  near  Bdwrdsville,  Illinois.  Amounts 
are  stated  in  parts  per  million.     Laboratory  No.  2891. 

Filtered. 

Total  residue  by  evaporation   138. 

Fixed  residue  (mineral  matter)    . . . . 120.4 

Volatile  matter  (loss  or  ignition) 17.6 

Chlorine  in  chlorides . .     2.1 

Oxygen  consumed    '. 4.6 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia   004 

Nitrogen  as  albumenoid  ammonia 056 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites    2.200 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates   ..'...■ 1.600 

Little  sulphates. 

The  high  "oxygen  consumed"  and  "albumenoid  ammonia"  show  that  much 
organic  matter  is  present  while  the  excessive  nitrites  show  that  putrefactive 
changes  are  going  on  actively.  In  its  present  condition  this  water  could  not 
be  considered  suitable  for  domestic  use,  but  undoubtedly  the  present  con- 
dition is  not  at  all  normal.  You  must  not  expect  to  gain  knowledge  of  the 
true  condition  of  the  water  from  wells  of  this  class  until  the  wells  have  been 
thoroughly  pumped  for  a  day  or  two. 

A.  W.  Palmer. 

Sanitary  Chemical  Analysis. 
Water  sent  by  C.  Boeschenstein,  Edwardsville,  Illinois. 

No.  2973.  Nov.  30,  1897. 

Source  of  water,  50-foot  driven  well  at  Poag,  Illinois.  Amounts  are  stated 
in  parts  of  millions. 

Total  residue  by  evaporation   160. 

Fixed  residue  (mineral  matter) 136.8 

Volatile  matter  (loss  or  ignition) 23.2 

Chlorine  in  chlorides 3.2 

Oxygen  consumed    1.0 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia 001 

Nitrogen  as  albumenoid 004 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites 033 

Nitrogen  as   nitrates 3.0 

This  water  contains  a  very  small  quantity  of  mineral  matter  and  conse- 
quently would  probably  be  well  suited  for  use  for  mechanical  purposes.  The 
low  proportion  of  free  and  albumenoid  ammonia,  also  of  chlorine,  indicates 
that  the  water  is  comparatively  free  from  organic  impurities,  but  the  presence 


80 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


Lbull.  5 


of  so  much  nitrites  is  unfavorable,  as  it  indicates  that  the  organic  matters 
present  are  undergoing  oxidation.  It  is  quite  likely  that  this  condition  of 
affairs  may  be  improved  after  long  continued  pumping.  The  water  appears 
to  be  derived  from  a  shallow  source  and  doubtless  is  collected  from  a  surface 
area  which  is  not  very  far  distant  from  the  well  itself.  It  is,  I  should  say, 
essentially  a  land  water,  that  is,  it  is  unlikely  that  the  water  manifesting 
these  characteristics  comes  from  the  river  underground,  but  rather  is  derived 
from  a  land  stream  flowing  toward  the  river. 

A.  W.  Palmer. 

Sanitary  Chemical  Analysis. 

Water  sent  by  Chas.  Boeschenstein. 
No.  2974.  Nov.  30,  1897. 

Source  of  water,  90-foot  shaft,  abandoned  coal  mine,  Wanda,  Illinois,  after 
continuous  pumping  for  three  weeks.  Amounts  are  stated  in  parts  of 
millions: 


No.  2974 

No.  2731 

Total  residue  bv  evaporation 

979.2 
928.4 
50.8 
19.0 
2.1 
.56 
.034 
None 
.35 

1264.8 

Fixed  residue  (mineral  matter) 

1182.0 

Volatile  matter  (loss  or  ignition). 

Chlorine  in  chlorides 

82.8 
18.0 

Oxygen  consumed 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia 

8.0 
.094 

Nitrogen  as  albuiuennoid 

.454 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites  

Nore 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates .' 

.4 

Considerable  iron  and  sulphates. 

The  water  drawn  from  the  shaft  on  the  date  of  November  22  shows  con- 
siderable improvement  over  the  sample  drawn  from  the  same  source  about 
two  months  previously.  The  analysis  of  the  number  2731  (which  I  have 
placed  on  this  same  sheet  for  purposes  of  comparison  and  which  was  the 
sample  drawn  from  the  same  coal  shaft  September  30,  and  sent  to  us  by 
Tuxhorn  Brothers  of  Edwardsville)  shows  by  inspection  of  the  figures  that 
there  is  a  marked  improvement  in  the  character  of  the  water  at  present,  and 
it  is  quite  likely  that  this  improvement  may  continue.  However,  the  large 
quantity  of  iron  and  sulphate  in  the  water  at  present  would  be  objectionable 
in  a  water  that  is  intended  for  domestic  use,  and  would  also  probably  cause 
considerable  difficulty  if  the  water  is  used  in  boilers,  because  of .  formation 
of  scale. 

Arthur  W.  Palmer, 

Professor  of  Chemistry,  University  of  Illinois. 


Sanitary  Chemical  Analysis. 
Water  sent  by  C.  Boeschenstein,  Edwardsville,  Illinois. 

Laboratory  No.  3236.  Feb.  10,  1898. 

Source  of  water,  70-foot  driven  well  on  farm  of  Fred  Whittig,  near  Edwards- 
ville, Illinois. 

Total  residue  by  evaporation 194.0 

Fixed  residue    (mineral  matter)    184.0  ' 

Volatile  matter  (loss  or  ignition) 10.0 

Chlorine    in    chlorides    . 3.0 

Oxygen  consumed    : 1.1 

Nitrogen  as  free  ammonia 002 

Nitrogen  as  albumenoid    026 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites    '.'•. 105 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates 110 


BOWMAN.] 


ANALYSES   OF    WATERS. 


SI 


This  water  is  very  similar  in  character  to  the  water  drawn  from  the  well  at 
Poag.  The  excessive  quantity  of  nitrites  contained  is  a  very  objectionable 
feature  of  this  water,  inasmuch  as  the  water  was  three  days  on  the  way, 
that  is,  collected  February  4  at  10:00  a.  m.,  and  arrived  at  our  laboratory 
February  7  at  8:30  a.  m.,  it  is  likely  that  these  nitrites  either  developed  or 
at  least  were  considerably  increased  in  amount  during  transit.  Conse- 
quently the  significance  of  this  datum  can  not  be  regarded  as  altogether 
satisfactory. 

Arthur  Palmer. 

Sanitary  Chemical  Analysis. 
Water  sent  by  C.  Boeschenstein,  Bdwardsville. 
Laboratory  No.  1454  and  1455.  October  10,  1896. 

Source  of  water,  35-foot  test  well,  driven  in  sand  and  gravel  at  foot  of 
bluffs  (Gouthards).    Amounts  in  parts  per  million: 


Oct.  5. 

Oct.  6. 

139.2 
133.6 
5  6 
1.6 
.8 
None 
.004 
.009 
4.00 

140.8 

132  8 

Volatile  matter  (loss  on  ignition) 

8.5 

1.7 

.6 

.006 

.008 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates 

4.00 

This  is  comparatively  soft  water  and  is  remarkably  free  from  organic 
matters.  If  the  water  drawn  from  the  well  continues  to  exhibit  such  charac- 
teristics as  it  does  at  present  it  will  make  an  admirable  supply  for  your  city. 
It  seems  to  me  that  it  will  be  well,  however,  in  order  to  make  sure  that  the 
supply  continues  of  good  quality,  to  send  some  more  samples  of  the  water 
collected  at  a  later  period. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Arthur  W.  Palmer, 
Professor  of  Chemistry. 

Well  No.  55. 

Analysis  of  Well  Water,  Armour  &  Company,  Bast  St.  Louis,  111.,  July  7,  1906. 

Grains  per  U.  S.  gallon. 

Sodium   nitrate .11 

Sodium   chloride 2.89 

Sodium  sulphate    2.02 

Ammonium   sulphate    17 

Magnesium    sulphate 2.82 

Magnesium    carbonate 4.1 

Calcium  carbonate 25.72 

Iron  and  aluminum  oxides  1.35 

Silica  (Si  02) 1.42 

C.  F.  Hagedorn, 


—6  G 


82 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


Well  No.  63. 
Missouri  Malleable  Iron  Co.,  Shallow  Well,  72  Feet. 


City  water, 
Well  Water, 

*2. 

Parts 
per  1, 000, 000. 

Grains 
per  gallon. 

Total  residue 

610.0 

350.0 

260.0 

266.667 
82.325 

184.32 
10.0 
75.92 
33.50 
33.50 

.11 

150.50 
40.75 

35.584 

Ignition  residue 

20.147 

Loss  on  ignition 

15.168 

Total  hardness •. 

15.556 

Permanent  hardness 

4.804 

Temperature .' 

10.752 

Chlorine , 

.583 

4.428 

1.954 

Iron   / 

.642 

Al       ) 

8.779 

M  g  O 

2.377 

Well  No.  39. 

Otto  Burget,  602  N.  10th  St.,  East  St.  Louis. 

Altoona,  Pa.,  Feb.  25,  1905. 
Water  sample  from  Rose  Lake,  Illinois. 

We  have  examined  the  sample  of  water  taken  from  a  95-foot  well  at  Rose 
Lake,  Illinois.  Find  as  follows  as  a  boiler  water: 

Grains  per  gallon. 

Total  solid  residue   .23.35 

Probable  scale  making  material  in  the  above 21.14 

Chlorine 0.11 

Soda  ash  required  per  1,000  gallons  None 

Lime  required  per  1,000  gallons. 1.95  lbs. 

The  residue  consists  principally  of  carbonates  and  sulphates  of  lime  and 
magnesia,  with  a  little  free  soda  ash  in  the  water,  and  a  little  bit  of  chlorides. 
We  would  not  regard  this  as  a  very  bad  water  for  boiler  use.  Indeed,  the  small 
amount  of  free  soda  ash  in  it  would  assist  in  keeping  the  boilers  clean,  and 
in  removing  scale  from  other  boilers.  There  is  nothing  corrosive  to  boilers 
in  this  water  in  its  present  condition. 

As  a  drinking  water  this  water  contains  as  follows: 

Nitrogen  as  nitrates   (parts  per  million) 0.15 

Nitrogen  as  nitrites    (parts  per  million) Trace 

Free  ammonia    0.36 

Albumenoid   ammonia 0.07 

Chlorine    (grains  per  gallon) 0.11 

Bacteria   (per  cu.  cm.) .3940. 

Bacteria  characteristic  of  bowel  discharge  not  present. 

There  is  nothing  in  these  figures  to  cause  any  special  uneasiness  in  regard 
to  this  water.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  free  ammonia  is  high  which  is  not  at 
all  rare  in  well  waters  in  the  coal  region. 

Chas.  B.  Dudley, 

Chemist. 


bowman  ]  ANALYSES   OF   WATEES.  83 

Table  of  Mineral  Analyses. 

The  following  table  shows  the  results  of  analyses  of  the  mine  al 
content  of  waters  from  the  East  St.  Louis  district.  These  include  23 
waters  that  were  collected  and  sent  to  the  State  Water  Survey  by 
Messrs.  Reeds  and  Bowman ;  1 1  analyses  made  by  other  parties  and  re- 
calculated according  to  the  method  used  by  the  S':ate  Water  Survey; 
and  17  analyses  of  waters  that  have  been  sent  to  the  Water  Survey  by 
citizens  of  the  district. 

An  inspection  of  these  results  show  that  wells  over  500  feet  deep  con- 
tain an  amount  of  mineral  matter  that  would  prohibit  their  u:e  for 
boiler  and  manufacturing  purposes ;  one  exception  to  be  noted,  that  of 
a  172-foot  drilled  well  at  Edgmont,  which  contains  practically  no  in- 
crustants,  and  while  containing  a  considerable  quantity  of  salts  of  the 
alkalies  could  be  used  in  boilers.  Wells  from  300  feet  to  500  feet  deep 
contain  a  considerable  residue  on  evaporation,  consisting  for  the  most 
part  of  salts  of  the  alkalies,  but  containing  also  considerable  quantities 
of  calcium  and  magnesium.  The  most  satisfactory  water  is  obtained 
from  the  Mississippi  river.  The  water  obtained  from  many  of  the 
driven  wells,  especially  those  in  the  American  bottoms  at  Poag,  is  of 
good  quality. 

Of  the  51  waters  analyzed,  14  would  be  condemned  for  excessive 
residue ;  19  would  be  benefited  by  treatment  with  soda  ash  and  passing 
them  through  a  feed  water  heater,  or  by  treatment  with  soda  ash  and 
lime  and  allowing  the  sediment  to  settle  before  the  water  is  added  to 
the  boilers;  15  would  be  benefited  by  treatment  with  lime  alone,  and 
allowing  the  sediment  to  settle ;  and  three  are  of  sufficient  purity  to  give 
very  satisfactory  water  without  treatment. 


84 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.    5 


The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters- 


Alton 

Madison 

2211 

May  12.  1897. . . 
L.  P.Schussler 
80  feet. 

Belleville 

St.  Clair 

10805 

Belleville. . 

County 

Madison  

14649  

July  18.  1906. . . 

i,' 400  ft  drilled 

St.   Clair 

10983. 

Dec.  17,  1902. . . 
W.  Renshaw.. 
Surface 

April  4.  1903  .. 

Depth  . 

Spring 

IONS. 

Milligrams 
per  1.000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

1.6 

15.4 

1.0 

Sodium  Na 

5756.4 

8.2 

190.4 

335.2 

1.4 

4.4 

14.0 

1.2 

.4 

9591.4 

436.0 

228.7 

28.4 
3.6 

Magnesium  Mg 

35.7 

108.6 

5.6 

2  1 

12.3 

16.7 
32.4 

39.7 

110.8 
.9 

3.6 

Silica  Si. 

5.0 

10.2 

Nitrate  N03 

.2 
4. 
12.4 

.9 
8.8 
41.0 

.3 

Chloride  CI 

3.2 

Sulphate  SO* 

7.3 

Hypothetical 


■    ^ 

0  ** 
P 

>-* 

P 

Q 

•    p 

?8 

0  ** 
P 

9 

•  p 
7200 

C.co 

p 

Q 

dS. 

•  p 

'  *p 
g.5 

Potassium  Nitrate 

.3 
3.0 

.02 

.11 

.6 

6.7 

.6 

.04 

.55 

.04 

Sodium  Nitrate 

.5 

.03 

1.3 

99.4 

14.5 

•    51.8 

.08 
5. SO 

.85 
5.05 

Suspended  matter 

198.8 

11.60 

Sodium  Chloride 

4.2 
18.6 
18.1 

.24 

1.08 
1.06 

114609.7 

852.18 

10.7 

57.5 

.62 

3.36 

24.3 

1.42 

9.6 

.56 

744.6 

43.43 

7.5 
53.1 

.44 
3.10 

117.4 

6.85 

138.2 

8.06 

262.1 
618.0 
146.5 

,15.29 
36.05 

8.55 

272.0 

15.86 

96.1 
2.2 

5.61 
.13 

276.8 

16.15 

11.6 

4. 

26.1 

.61 

.23 

1.52 

2.9 

4.4 

14.0 

.11 

.26 
.82 

1.9 

6.8 
21.8 

.11 

.40 

Silica 

10.6 

.62 

1.28 

Sodium  Nitrite 

Bases 

1.2 

.01 

Totals 

475.3 

21.10 

16428.2 

958.21 

336.5 

19.66 

bowman.]  ANALYSES   OF   WATERS. 

From  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


85 


Belleville 

St.  Clair 

10250.. 

Belleville 

St.  Clair 

15017. 

Belleville.. 
St.  Clair... 

Caseyville  ... 

St.  Clair 

14626  (88) 

July  14.  1906. . 

Caseyville  . 
St.  Clair.. . . 
14629(176)... 
July  14,  1906 

Caseyville  . 
St.  Clair  . . . 

14993 

Sept.  15, 1906 
J.W.Mosier 
25  ft 

Feb.  8,  1902 

Sept.  17,  1906. 
E.  J.  DuPont. 

425  ft 

450  ft  

Well  102.... 

25  ft  dug 

40  ft.  dug. . . 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

139,1 

217.0 

.4 

3.8 

6.1 

374.0 

207.6 

.1 

340.4 

646.9 

151.7 

92.2 

.1 

115.1 

254.5 

.1 

2.2 

66.0 

3.5 

.232.1 
500.7 

3.8 

9.1 

4.2 

21.0 
.3 
.8 

80.0 
9.8 

21.4 

13.0 

5.0 

441.9 

700.0 

1237.3 

16.0 

5.0 

265.1 

250.0 

1255.8 

.3 

56.5 
188.0 
489.0 

9.0 

5.5 

25.8 
9.7 

\£Mjti*k 

Combinations. 


►d 
g 

gS 

Ecd 

p 

as. 

■   a 

P4 

gH 

Ecd 
p 

O 

as. 

-i 
g£ 

P.  CD 

o  ^ 

p 

Q 

i-i 

•   0 

C/3W 

hd 

g  cc 

&■« 
f  CD 

as. 

•    a 
urn 

hd 

p 

g  w 

J3*.  CD 

o  l"1 

p 

as. 

•    a 

is 

■n 

g  w 

P.  CD 

O  ""* 

Q 

as. 

'    d 

K  N  03 

K'Cl.    . 

K2S04  .. 

.5 

.03 

1.0 

.06 

606.1 

35.35 

363.6 

21.2 

77.5 

4.52 

NaN03.. 

NaNOa 

15.0 

.87 

.49 

16.71 

132.0 

14.5 

365.9 

7.70 

.85 

21.34 

22.6 
14.3 

811.5 

2.48 

.83 

47.33 

100.1 

6.42 

135.0 

7.87 

180.7 

10.53 

NaCl 

8.2 

Na2S04.. . 

286.6 

Na2  COt 

.3 

.02 

.3 

.02 

(NH4)2C1 

(NH4)2C03 

Mg  Cl2 

1.1 

.06 

850.6 
607.5 

49.62 
35.44 

226.0 
861.6 

13.18 
50.26 

105.1 
436.5 

6.13 
25.45 

.71 

"id.2 

.77 

MgS04 .. 

12.2 

MgCOa1 

CaCl2  .         .   ! 

1066.9 

830.6 

15.0 

62.23 

48.45 

.87 

805.8 

657.5 

11.0 

47.0 

38.35 
.64 

199.6 

488.5 

11.63 

28.49 

CaSO* 

8.9 
.6 

.52 

.03 

15.2 
6.0 

.89 
.35 

22.7 

1.32 

CaOo3... 

Fe2Cs  +  Al2  03 

.2 

.01 

Fe  S04 

FeC03 

2.2 

66.0 

.13 

3.84 

Al2  03 . 

9.0 

.52 

21.0 
.5 

7.8 

1.22 
.03 
.45 

21.4 

1.25 

13.0 

.76 

16.0 

.93 

SiO. 

Si02  +  . 

5.0 

.29 

5.0 

.29 

8.2 

.49 

341.0 

19.81 

578.2 

33.72 

912.5 

53.21 

4105 :i 

239.45 

3081.5 

179.73 

1564.9 

91.21 

86 


WATEE    EESOUECES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters 


Collinsville 

Madison 

4271 

Collinsville 

Madison 

4280 

Oct.  26,   1898... 
J.R.  Wadsw'th 
706  ' 

Collinsville 

Madison 

10753. 

14529 

Date 

Oct.  26,   1898... 
J.R.  Wadsw'th 
601' 

Nov.  10,  1902.. 
S.  E.  Simpson. 
90' 

June  22,  1906 

Depth 

90  ' 

IONS. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

•  Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

27.9 
830.4 

i7.9 

38.8 

2.5 

4.3 

24.1 

18.9 

833.8 

1.3 

19.7 

31.7 

1.5 

.6 

2.2 

38.2 

.1 

27.9 

74.2 

1.2 

1.0 

95 

1  7 

Sodium  Na 

9  0 

Magnesium  Mg , 

.3 
43.7 

82.8 

6 

1.6 

19  2 

Nitrate  N03 

1.7 
865.0 
450.4 

,.6 

"  680.0 

505.4 

.7 
10.3 
16.9 

2 

5  0 

Sulphate  S04 

41.1 

Hypothetical 


.  ►■* 

5"  a 

P  ^ 

5" 

<"? 'Sl- 
ag CD 

3  00 

Q 
B" 

£.8 

3   «2 

Q 

cJp. 

XJlw 
p  ct> 

Potassium  Nitrate 

3.8 

1.1 

48.6 

.22 

.06 

2.83 

2.8 

1.1 

33.1 

.16 

.06 

1.92 

1.1 

.06 

.3 

.02 

Potassium  Nitrite 

Potassium  Chloride 

3.3 

.19 

3.0 

.17 

Sodium  Chloride 

1387.3 
666.3 
158.2 

80.92 

38.87 

9.23 

1094.7 
747.6 
485.8 

63.85 
43.60 
28.34 

14.4 
25.0 
56.2 

.86 
1.46 
3.28 

5.9 
20.7 

.34 

1.21 

1.1 

.06 

Ammonium  Chloride 

Ammonium  Carbonate 

3.4 

.20 

.3 

.02 

Magnesium  Chloride 

Magnesium  Sulphate 

41.7 
91.1 

2.43 

Magnesium  Carbonate 

62.2 

3.62 

68.5 

3.99 

97.2 

5.67 

5.31 

Calcium  Carbonate 

97.1 
5.1 

8.2 
51.4 

5.65 
.30 
.48 

3.00 

79.7 
3.2 
1.2 
7.1 

4.64 

.18 
.01 
.40 

185.4 

2.6 

1.9 

20.3 

10.82 

.15 

.11 

1.19 

206.7 

1.2 

1.6 

19.2 

2.5 

12.06 

.07 

.09 

1.12 

Bases 

.15 

Total 

2489.3 

145.18 

2528.1 

147.41 

407.7 

23.81 

395.0 

23.03 

bowman.]  ANALYSES   OF    WATERS. 

» 
from  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


87- 


Collinsville. . 

Madison 

14530 

June  22,  1906 

Collinsville. . 

Madison 

14570  

June  29,  1906 

Dupo 

St.  Clair  . . 
14675  (110).. 
July24,1906 

East  Alton.. 

Madison  

14650  (189«).. 
July  18,  1906. 

East  Alton 
Madison  .. 
14650  (6,7). 
Julyl8, 1906 

East  Alton. 

Madison 

14652  (5) . . . . 
Julv  18, 1906 

70ft 

Shallow .' 

70ft  driven. 

37ft  driven. . . 

54ft  drilled 

35ft  driven. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

2.2 

12.6 

77.1 

.05 

212.5 

424.6 

4.2 

3.2 

27.6 

2.0 

88.4 

220.0 

931.9 

11.3 

.6 
21.2 
81.6 
10.1 
2.9 
34.0 

.6 

.9 
2.0 

.7 

10. 

.1 
15.2 

52.8 

.8 

1.8 

26. 

.6 

.7 

8.5 

86.5 

17.5 
.1 

18.9 

66.3 

.6 

1.9 

24.3 
.6 
.8 

22.5 
161.6 

12. 

.4 

14,4 

75.9 

9.5 

23.4 

22.1 

.8 

.4 

16.5 

115. 

41.8 

65.2 

•    2.8 

1.6 

19.0 

3.9 

5.5 

51.2 

Combinations. 


3*8 
0 

O 

Cjg 

a 

Bob 

IN 

O 

cjg 

3' 

J/JOB 

3  » 
By 

5' 8 
P 

Q 
OS'S 

fL>-i 

hd 
1 

3  w 

P 

Q 
3' 

p  CO 

3  00 

■p* 

Q 

cjg 

5" 

ELS 

p  00 

O 
0 

XJlvi 

p  CD 

■ 

5.7 

.33 

K   N03 

K  N03 

K   CI 

.5 

9.1 

27.4 

.03 

.53 

1.60 

121.2 
112 .4 

7.07 
6.56 

1.2 

3.3 

1.0 

.   21.6 

.07 

.19 

.06 

1.26 

1.0 

14.0 
13.0 

.06 
.82 
.76 

11.0 

36.8 

.64 
2.15 

.5 
27.2 
3.7 

.03 

1.59 

.22 

Na   N03 

Na   CI . 

Na^SO* 

Na3C03 

(NH4)3SO*.... 

(NH4)2C1, 

(NHi)sCOs 

MgCL* 

MgS04 

MgC03 

Ca  S04 

CaC03 

FeC03 

Alo  O3 

.4 

.02 

.3 

"".02 

1.5 

.09 

.1 

.01 

1.6 

.09 

204.0 
792.4 

424  ."i 
749.6 

8.7 

3.2 

27.6 

2.0 

11.90 
46.22 

"24.74 

43.71 

.51 

.19 

1.61 

.12 

41.0 

2.39 

6.77 

75.1 

4.38 

93.4 

5.45 

71.2 

4.15 

116.0 

73.4 

4.28 

24.8 

113.6 

1.7 

1.8 

26. 

.6 

1.45 

6.63 

.10 

.10 

1.52 

.03 

123.4 

74.9 

1.2 

1.9 

24.3 

.6 

7.20 

4.37 

.07 

.11 

1.42 

.03 

77.4 
132.6 
19.7 
23.4 
22.1 
.8 

4.53 

7.73 
1.15 
1.36 
1.29 
.05 

162.7 
5.8 
1.6 

9.49 
.34 
.09 

1.11 
.04 

203.7 

20.9 

2.9 

34.0 

.6 

11.88 
1.22 

.17 
1.98 

.03 

19.0 

^i  0~.  . 

.7 

Si  03+ 

389.5 

22.72 

2445.3 

142.64 

364.2 

21.23 

272.0 

15.87 

367.8 

21.46 

380.1 

22.19 

WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull,    5 


The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters 


E.  St.  Louis  . . 

St.iClair 

11666 

Dec.  9,    1902... 
C  Hagedorn. . . 
80  ft.. 

E.  St.  Louis  . . 

St.  Clair 

11800.   .. 

E.  St.  Louis  .. 

St.  Clair 

11801. 

E   St    Louis 

St  Clair 

13939 

Feb.  9,  1904.... 
M.  R.  Thayer  . 
90  ft... 

Feb.  9.  1904.... 
M.  R.  Thayer  . 

Jan  23    1906 

OwDer 

Depth  . . 

Miss.  River;. . , 

Strata 

Gravel 

Sand 

IONS. 

Milligrams 
per  1/000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c,  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

2.4 

30.7 

.8 

29.9 

176.1 

59.2 

.8 

42.1 

138.4 

23.2 

.448 
13.0 
35.9 

12.2 

.2 

21.0 

52*2 

.2 

1.2 

11.5 

16.9 

6.2 

8.2 

Nitrite 

1.4 

28.8 
64.1 

.8 

5.8 

45.6 

3.1 

Chloride  CI 

43.5 
102.7 

7.0 

35.5 

Hypothetical 


-t 

B  » 

OS'S 
A  CD 

El1-* 

B  CO 

D 

a 

Ww 
m  ct> 

*4 

P  CO 

P 

Q 

w<*> 

as  ct> 

|8 

Q 

Op 

5' 

TJc/j 

Potassium  Nitrate 

5.1 

.8 

.30 

Potassium  Chloride 

.05 

Sodium  Nitrate 

1.9 
49.5 
34.6 

.11 

2.89 
2.02 

l.i 

9.6 

59.1 

.06 

.56 

3.44 

Sodium  Chloride 

7i.8 
95.7 

4.19 

5.58 

10.9 
24.4 

.64 

Sodium  Sulphate .- 

2.42 

2.9 

.11 

2.9 

.11 

1.6 

.09 

Magnesium  Sulphate 

48.3 
70.4 

2.82 
4.10 

45.0 
114.7 

2.62 
6.69 

5.5 
41.3 

.32 
2.41 

23.7 
56.1 

1.38 

Magnesium  Carbonate 

3.28 

Calcium  Carbonate 

441.0 

28.2 

25.72 
1.35 

345.9 
43.1 

20.01 
2.51 

89.8 
11.7 

5.24 

.68 

130.3 

1.60 

.4 
1.1 

8.2 

.02 

.01 

Silica 

24.4 

1.42 

28.8 

1.68 

13.2 

.77 

.48 

Total 

696.2 

40.60 

747.9 

43.51 

232.9 

13.51 

261.1 

15.24 

BOWMAN.  1 


ANALYSES    OF    WATERS. 


from  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


E.  St.  Louis 

E.  St.  Louis.. 

E.St.  Louis 

E.  St.  Louis. 

E.  St.Louis 

E.St.  Louis 

St.  Clair 

St.  Clair 

St.  Clair.... 

St.  Clair 

St.  Clair.... 

St.  Clair 

14619  (69) 

14620  (70)  .... 

14621  (74)... 

14622  (71) 

14623  (60)  .. 

14624  (75)... 

July  12,  1906.. 

July  12,  1906.. 

July  11,  1906 

July  11,  1906.. 

July  11,  1906 

July  11,  1906 

360  ft.  ....... . 

450ft  drilled.. 

140ft  driven 

57ft  driven. .. 

80ft  driven. 

120ft  drilled 

Rock. 

Milligrams 

Milligrams 

Milligrams 

Milligrams 

Milligrams 

Milligrams 

per  1. 000  c.  c. 

per  1,000  c.c. 

per  1000  c.  c. 

per  1,000  c.c. 

per  1000  c.  c. 

per  1000  c.  c. 

149.4"" 

io.i"" 

i7.5 

2m"' 

ii*2*  '* 

'"hs.h"' 

.7 

.4 
19.3 

.5 

31.1 

.5 

7.7 

.3 
22.4 

34.7 

42.3 

95.9 

89.9 

100.7 

172.7 

105.3 

84.4 

6.9 

23.2 

10.1 

10.8 

11.2 

6.4 

5.0 

11.3 

3.3 

7.6 

36.6 

3.6 

2.0 

.7 

.9 

.6 

1.0 

1.2 

1.4 

.5 

.5 

.5 

1.1 

.7 

220. 

32.5 

5.5 

13.0 

15.0 

5.5 

86. 

Combinations: 


93 
-t 

3   CO 

o'2 
a 

5' 

| 

B  c» 

o'<D 

Q 

g:  CD 

93 

1 

B   CO 

B"& 

13  ' 

Q 

qp 

p  CD 

So 

© 

qp 

ce§ 

B  m 

B"3 

o3 

0 

a 

CCco 

BQtJ 
ELS 

►d 

93 

B  co 

B^ 

g^ 

© 
a 

CCco 

K  NO-2 

K  CI 

1.9 

363.0 

18.2 

.11 

21.17 
1.06 

.7 
53.6 
14.8 
32.2 

.04 
3.13 

.86 

1.88 

.7 

9.1 

28.1 

10.6 

.04 

.53 

1.64 

.62 

.7 
21.5 
48.4 

.04 
1.25 

2.82 

1.5 
24.8 
12.3 

.09 
1.45 

.72 

1.0 

9.1 

6.8 

120.6 

.06 

.53 

.40 

7.03 

Na  N03 

Na   CI 

Na2SOi 

Na3  CO, 

2.6 

.15 

1.8 

.10 

(NH4)3S04 

(NH4).>C03.  .  .  . 

1.1 

.06 

1.3 

.08 

.8 

.05 

90.0 

5.25 

209.1 

12.20 

38.1 

2.22 

MgSO* 

Mg  COs 

Ca  S04 

57.1 

3.33 

66.8 

3.90 

107.7 

6.28 

77.6 

4.53 

225.1 
265.6 

13.13 
15.49 

15.7 
251.4 

.92 
14.66 

239.4 

13.96 

224.4 

13.09 

25L4 

14.66 

210.7 

12.29 

CaC03 

PesOs  +  AlsOs. 

FeC03 

Al .  03 . 

Si  02 

14.3 

5. 
27. 

.83 

.29 

1.57 

.12 

48.1 
11.3 
32.2 

.7 

2.81 
.66 

1.88 
.04 

20.9 
3.3 

37.7 
.9 

1.22 
.19 

2.20 
.05 

22.4 

7.6 

29.4 

.6 

1.31 
.44 

1.71 
.03 

23.2 

36.6 

35.7 

1.0 

1.35 

2.13 

2.08 

.06 

13.3 
3.6 

35.3 
1.2 

.78 

.21 

2.06 

.07 

2. 

Si02+.' 

820.5 

47.84 

485.9 

28.35 

471.7 

27.51 

830.4 

48.42 

442.1 

25.78 

480.0 

28.01 

90 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.        ,  [bull.  5 

The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters 


Town 

E.  St.  Louis.  . 

St.  Clair 

14677  (63).....: 
July  23,  1906. .. 

E.  St.  Louis. .. 

St.  Clair 

55 

Edgemont  

St.  Clair 

14569 

June  28,  1906.. 

Eddwardville.. 

15372 

Nov.  21,  1906 

Depth      

450ft  drilled... 

782ft  drilled.... 

IONS. 

Milligrams 
per  1.000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.c 

5.2 
246.4 

Sodium  Na 

72.0 
.6 

29.1 

83.1 
1.1 
2.8 

30.3 

1.4 
66.0 
17.9 

31.2 

.8 

29.9 

176.3 

12.4 
1 

2.4 
12.7 
4.2 
2.9 
11.2 

.4 

91.5 
38.6 

28.5 

41.2 

.4 

1.8 

24.3 

14.3 

Nitrate  N03 

1.4 
30.0 
64.0 

11.5 

Chloride  CI 

Sulphate  S04 

7.0 
45.3 

Hypothetical 


s 

3   03 

3 

►d 

B  vj 

£& 

0 

Q 

go  CD 

►0 

S3 

3  vi 
0 

Q 

3g. 
B 

XJlvi 

C3 

O 
c-}g, 

D 
Win 

gj  CD 

Potassium  Nitrate 

.7 
9.3 

.04 
.54 

1.9 
108.9 
26.5 
46.0 

.11 
6.35 
1.55 

2.68 

1.9 
49.5 
34.5 

.11 

2.89 
2.02 

15.8 
11.6 
10.8 

.92 

Sodium  Chloride 

143.7 

57.1 

394.3 

8.38 

3.33 

23.00 

.68 

.63 

2.9 

.17 

.4 

.02 

1.6 

.09 

48.3 
70.2 

2.82 
4.10 

47.2 
65.8 

2.75 

100.8 

5.88 

8.3 

.48 

3.84 

207.4 

12.10 

440.2 
23.1 

25.72 
1.32 

31.7 

1.85 

102.8 

6.00 

2.3 

2.8 

30.3 

.3 

.13 
.16 

1.77 
.02 

8.7 

2.9 

11.2 

.5 

.51 
.11 
.65 
.03 

.8 
1.8 
14.3 
2.3 

.05 

.10 

24.3 

1.42 

.83 

.13 

Total.                  

528.8 

30.84 

694.9 

40.60 

668.4 

38.98 

273.6 

15.95 

bowman]  ANALYSES   OF   WATER. 

from  the.  East  St.  Louis  District. 


91 


Falling  Sprg 

St.  Clair 

14571 

Falling  Sprg 

St.  Clair 

14676 

July  23,  1906. 

Granite  Cy 
Madison  .. 
41 

Granite  City 

Madison 

41 

Granite  Cy 
Madison. .. 
41 

Granite  Cy' 
Madison — 
42. 

June  25,    1906 

Spring 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1. 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c. 

10.2 
.1 

20.5 

.2 

24.5 

90.8 

1.7 

5.7 

57.1 

5.1 

.4 

10.0 

14.8 

40.1 

11.7 

11.7 

24.3 

11.0 

29.2 
112.6 

29.1 
112.6 

31.7 
131.4 

35.7 

.8 

142.2 

1.6 

12.4 

115.7 

26.4 

26.4 

25.6 

.7 

7.5 

101.4 

101.5 

222.4 

11.5 

84.6 

Combinations. 


©2. 

B  ce 

o2 
B 

ag. 

w  5 

g3  <t> 

B  $ 
~B 

O 

B" 

Cflai 
£.2 

►d 

& 

i-S 
0   OB 

p 

O 
p 

OS'S 

el® 

h3 

p 

bI 

o'2 
a 

Q 

Cjp 

5" 

p  CO 

5  2 

B 

52  ft) 

K    NO-3 

KCI 

1.0 

.06 
.12 
.90 

.5 
16.5 
21.9 
15.7 

.03 

.96 

1.28 

.92 

NaNO-3 

12.4 

29.7 

1.13 

29.7 

1.13 

50.8 
13.3 

2.96 

.78 

Na   CI 

Na2S04... 
Na3C03... 
(NH4)3  S04 
(NH4)3COs 
MgSO* 

15.4 

123.7 

7.21 

.4 

.02 

.5 

.03 

1.0 

.06 
2.18 

127.1 
12.1 

7.41 

.11 

127.2 
11.8 

7.42 
.69 

156.7 

9.14 

37.4 

;    84.8 

4.95 

MgCOs 

1.4 

354.0 
30.8 

.08 

20.65 

1.80 

125.3 

235.9 

9.3 

7.31 

13.76 
.54 

Ca  S04 

89.1 

5.20 

226.7 

13.22 

281.1 
11.6 

16.40 

.68 

28i.i 

11.6 

16.40 

.68 

Ca  C03 

Fe3  03+Al2 
Fe  C03 

03 

1.7 

.10 
.09 

.12 

3.5 

5.7 

57.1 

5.1 

.20 

.33 

3.33 

.30 

1.6 

A1203 

Si  03 

12.4 

115.7 

6.16 

26.4 

1.54 

26.4 

1.54 

25.6 

1.49 

gi  o2+  .  .  . 

172.4 

10.05 

538.0 

25.55 

625.6 

36.50 

488.0 

28.41 

487.8 

28.46 

616.9 

35.98 

D2 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters 


Town 

County 

Granite  City.. 

Madison 

45 

Madison 

Madison 

Deep  well 

Madison 

Madison 

Pond  water. .. 

Madison 

46 

Date 

Owner 

Depth 

IONS. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  l,000e.  c. 

41.0 

13.0 

22.0 

11  4 

Magnesium  Mg 

22.7 
97.2 

26.6 
102.3 

29.6 
64.4 

33.6 

94.6 

Ferrous  Fe 

29.4 

31.8 

25.0 

39  8 

Nitrate  N03 

82.7 

66.2 

123.8 

Sulphate  S04 

Iodine  I 

54.3 

Hypothetical 


B   05 

p 

Q 

a 

^^ 

p  CD 

P 

b£ 

£*» 
0*8 
P 

Q 

B   ■ 

jp  CD 

bS 

a™ 

O 

a 
WW 

OS'S 

g3  CD 

3  CO 

5"  8 

P 

ag. 

13 

sa  cd 

Potassium  Sulphate 

Potassium  Carbonate 

Sodium  B  romide 

Sodium  Iodine 

Sodium  Chloride 

16.4 
106.4 

.96 
6.21 

32.9 

1.92 

22.9 
40.1 

1.34 
2.34 

28.9 

1.69 

Magnesium  Sulphate 

13.5 

69.3 

242.6 

29.4 

.19 

4.04 

14.15 

1.11 

.   83.0 

37.4 

255.4 

14.9 

4.84 
2.18 
14.90 

.87 

121.2 
17.7 

160.8 
13.0 

7.07 

1.03 

9.38 

.16 

68.1 

68.8 

236.1 

26.9 

3.97 

4.00 

13.17 

Oxide  of  Iron  and  Aluminium. . . 

1.57 

V 

Silica 

29.4 

1.11 

31.8 

1.85 

25.0 

1.46 

39.8 

2.32 

Total 

507.0 

29.57 

455.4 

26.56 

400.7 

23.38 

468.4 

27,32 

BOWMAN.] 


ANALYSES   OF   WATEKS. 


93 


from  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


Mascoutah 

St.  Clair 

193 . 

O'Fallon  .... 

St.  Clair 

14627  (129a-c) 
July  13,  1906. 

O'Fallon  .. 
St.  Clair... 
14628  (130). 
July  13, 1906 

Poag 

Madison 

3280 

Poag 

Madison. .. 
15373  (9)... 
Nov.19.1906 

Stolle 

St.  Clair..., 
14674  (108).. 

Feb.  18,  1898. 
C.Boeschst'n 
55' 

Post'INul'gCo 

Spring 

40'  driven.... 

40'  dug 

Wells 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1, 000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c 

Milligrams 
per  1,000  c.  c. 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c 

Milligrams 
per  1000  c.  c 

137.6 

1.6 
5.9 

11.1 
11.1 

17^9 

52.9 

.6 

2.6 

8.5 

...._„... 

7445.6 

13.0 

.4 

35.2 

135.7 

1.1 

2.1 

22.7 

13.0 
.2 

39.0 

93.9 
1.9 
1.9 

21.1 

.3 

1.2 

6.0 

22.0 

276.6 

778.9 

1.5 

6.6 

29.7 
.8 
.14 

29.4 
98.4 
1.6 
29.5 
48.4 

36.5 

1.2 

3.5 
193 

15.9 
2.8 
14.1 

11.5 

7.0 

49.1 

2.5 
6.0 

18.7 

10,925.4 

822.4 

6.7 

Combinations. 


*0 

■  p 

►d 
-t 

3_w 

8* 

© 

5' 

p  CD 

8S 

>s 

3_» 

B^ 
0 

© 

Cjp 
D 

crq  "S 

£L3 

►d 

n 

3  5T 

© 
B" 

W<*> 
crq  "g 

P 
>-* 

3  & 
B^ 

0  ^ 

© 

Cjga 

B' 

3  » 
B^ 

a® 

© 
Cjp 

5' 

W  v 

g.8 

4.3 

.25 

K    N03.  •  • 

K3S04 

K2C03 

NaBr 

Na  I 

Na  NOs 

Na.  CI 

Na2S04 

Na2C03 

(NH4)3S04... 
(NH4)3COs.  .. 

MgCl2 

MgSO* 

MgC03 

CaC03 

Fe303+Al303. 

FeC03 

Ala08 

Si  03 

243.9 

14.23 

2.89 

2.14 

.46 

49.6 

46.9 

7.9 

i.6 

5.8 

28.6 

2.3 

.09 

.34 

1.67 

.13 

1.6 

9.9 

26.8 

.09 

.58 

1.56 

18.3 
2.5 

1.06 
.14 

15.8 
11.6 
6.8 

.92 
.67 
.40 

3.4 
9.9 

27.7 
4.1 

.20 

.58 

1.62 

.24 

18029.2 
1018.2 

1051.64 
59.39 

.7 

.04 

.4 

.02 

1.1 

.06 

3.5 

25.7 

1.8 

74.3 

.20 
1.50 

.10 
4.33 

4.3 
131.9 
2h4.4 

.25 
7.69 
13.67 

55.4 
23.2 
131.1 

3.21 
1.35 

7.69 

957.9 
1944.3 

55.87 
113.41 

121.9 

338.7 

7.11 
19.76 

101.8 
245.6 

5.94 
14.34 

3.1 

.18 

2.3 

2.1 

22.7 

.13 

.12 

1.32 

3.9 

1.9 

21.1 

.3 

.23 

.11 

1.23 

.02 

.2 

.3 

30.0 

.01 

.02 

1.75 

1.2 

"    2.6 
8.5 
3.3 

.07 
.15 

.50 
.19 

3.3 
29.5 

48.4 
8.1 

.19 
1.72 
2.82 

.47 

Si  03+ 

22301.0 

1300.81 

527.1 

30.73 

436.8 

25.47 

160.6 

9.36 

259.9 

15.17 

481.8 

28.12 

94  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS,  [bull.  5 

The  Mineral  Content  of  Waters  from  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


Town 

County 

TONS. 

Sodium  Na 

Magnesium  Mg 
Calcium  Ca... . . 

Ferrous  Pe 

Silica  Si 

Chloride  CI 


Mascoutah 
St.  Clair.... 


Milligrams 
per  1,  000  c.  c. 


4,684.3 
450.6 
2,805.6 
9.1 
2.704.9 
11,489.0 


Hypothetical    Combinations. 


3  a) 

O  "S 
0 

Q 

C^85 

11888.6 
1762.0 
4653.2 
3820.7 
13.0 

693.46 

102.18 

271.42 

222.86 

.76 

NaCl 

MgCl2 

CaCl2.. 

Ca  SO* 

Fe  C03 

Total 

22137.5 

1291.28 

bowman.]  ANALYSES    OF   WATERS.  95 

Sanitary  Analyses. 

The  following  table  shows  the  sanitary  analyses  of  waters  from  the 
East  St.  Louis  district  that  have  been  sent  to  the  State  Water  Survey 
for  analysis.  The  greater  number  of  these  waters  have  been  sent  to 
the  survey  because  of  suspected  contamination  and  therefore  are  hardly 
representative  of  the  normal  waters  of  the  district.  A  number  of 
analyses  of  municipal  supplies  have  been  made.  Some  of  these  were 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  best  available  source  of  supply,  as 
for  example,  when  the  location  of  the  wells  of  the  Edwardsville  Water 
Company  were  being  considered,  many  analyses  were  made  of  proposed 
sources  of  supply. 


96 


WATER    RESOURCES    OP    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


I  bull.  5 


•A^uiresnv 


•sa^j^ijsi; 


OJOOO 

NNWN 
CO  CO  CO  CO 


ooooooooooooooooo    oo 

CO-rH-sJ<'S<©'t*©©©C~T-lCOini— COCM-*C\lff\l-rHC\l- 


ooo      ooo 


sa^u^ijsL 


t-OH^O»Ol 

ooooooo< 


>NOOO00NHOHt.t.WOO»O0)OOO-! 
>CO©©©COe-^H©©©^H©©©i-l©©©©©©< 
i  O  O.O  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOt 


•pioaiinnqiY 


OONOOWOWONOOOOOO^OO' 
©■^©iMCOtM^HCvlTH^COCOGOin©©' 
MNHHOnOHrH^NOOOOO' 


i'«*0[)00'*'#NCOO(CN 

>«o©©©^00'*(Me\i'-n-i 
>oooooaiMrHooorH 


•aaj^ 


©©N"*"*"*©©< 
NHMNXOO'*! 
©©©©CM©-*©  ■ 


>©  •*  -*  ©©©©• 

I  CO  CM  ©  ©  OS  H  •    '  ' 


i©©00©©©  ^ 


•aas^xo  paninsuoo 


in  in  m  in  in  in      in  in      in 

r-ic-oo<M«^it-in-«iniLOOoc©'*©c-inTH©-^©©i 

NQOffi'iON^HNOt-'^HNTHNNNNHNH. 


>©C\1C0©©! 
i  <m  co  in  in    '  i 


■sopuomo  ui  guijomo 


©©©©GO 

©  c-  ©  ©  in  svi  ■ 


'  ©  00  ©  ■*■ 


00  ©       000000  ■ 


•noi'j'BJOdfiAa  uo 


)©^H©C-©©©CvJ<N©-"*' 


<ininco©in©oot-i—©oo© 


©©©© 


aopo 


:§SS   : 


%  6  3 
(M    -co 


ss§g§g 


•joioo 


<n  c<i  ©  cm  «*  m 

.NNt-OONOOO 


go©©©©© 


©eg©©©© 


•Alipicumj, 


J.SS®   --^.2  §s  §•-"'§'§'§.26   :^6 
OQQo   :a)QQc«o^_J_J_  " 


0  0)1 


wQ> 


00  OS 

©  © 

00  00 


<3<j 


,.  a 

So 


r-C»«DCCIOI>t-tOtDtOJ0050505 

©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 
0000©  ©OOOOOC©  ©0000000000 

d(»'*lOOJNNt>l>tON10'*d 
CM  5M  rtHH  t-ICO 

4J        •        •  •     ^    K^    ►-  .H    ©    CJ 

O^^Qgg^bOO<i^b  :  :QQ   • 


©©C~00 


a>  a> 

fn  c3 


g§ 


^.  w  w  w  £T   ^      •  ^(O   t/3  w    I     w  v   (/!    I     www 


>'  bi  d  o*  o'  h 

o  s'O^'d 


3  38 
3   ww 


s 


MM^sssSSSSSSSSSSSf 


SOh-jI-s 


.  b  ®^ 


cStT*  *  *    C 


•aaqranu  I'Buag 


•  ©©©inoo-*in©oo©< 
i'*min©cvi(M'Mc<i'*©< 

ir*^-TH^(ininicincocce 


IC>'lO«Ot'»iOI>< 

■  ©  m  in  in  in  ©  in  c 


BOWMAN.] 


ANALYSES    OF    WATERS. 


97 


.^rxtoiowo     ©© 

■Ot-'w'ffl'aHHNM 
'  CO  CO  CO  CM  CM  CO  CO  CO  CO 


MCOOSOOtO 


■OSCO      •       ■ 


■COCM  CM         rlH       •  rH 


iOOCDOO     ■  ©       o  toe-  o       »t-oo  O  •  O       OON-*O00O 

iCMOOp-CMCM      -OOOOOOOOO00O  C-Ol        t-OOOMO»5J  r~0©        00        ©CO©©©        0»OXt-0'*0^ 
>tHO©tHt-H      •N»OOOOOOO<DOHffiO0>OOOM^rlO00»^00INWOHOOOONrtQ0O»[-OWO 

"rtffldoN     '     "    '.     '  r-i     'dn'oid     "  o  **  O  OS     '     '  r-i 
AHOfflH  t-I        ION        O0        CM 


i  (M  1^-  00  t-  ©  CO 

HCOCOCO  tH         x* 


i<CM©CM<MCO00CM00©' 


IOOtHOOOOOtHO^HOO^- 


i  O  O  O  O  t-I  O  CM  < 


INCOWCOODNO' 

I  ■<*  LO  LO  LO  00  OS  CD  ! 
I  O  ©  T-I  O  O  t-I  tH  ( 


■NOOONNOONTKOTjtDOOOONSOTj! 


s^^s; 


lOCDOCOOOOOOIMCDO 


lON^t 
)C-NOHOT«OQ0  05  00  0t)T(IC0Hin3 
'    "iOtHOON' 


iNOMOOOt 


lo      lo  lo      mm 


>mocDTHcocococoomooocococ-ooooomcDO'*cDOcoi^-cooqomcom'*oooocD^'*« 

iHNlOCOI^HCO^Co'cO^TjixjlNinN^^WTjI^Mt^TjICOTjlTHHNHM        CM  C-  CM  lO  CM  CM  LO  C 


l«*MOiOMONO' 
I  N-  ,#'  ,_|  Co'  ©'  CD  x*  "*'  1 


ONOOOiOiaOOOOiOOOOlO 

ii>a(MNMa)t-'wc>N»oidd  c-  o  oo"  id  o  id  od  oo"  as  o  o  t 

I  CD  x*  00  CM  00  O  x*  CD  00  C-  tH  ©  00  rH  t-  C-  LO  O  LO  Ou  tM 

tH    CM    COtHtH    CO    IN    CO  CM  (M  r-l  C- CM  rH  00 


NOW 

i  o  id  id  cd  < 


©lOLOLOOO©© 


■C010OlCDC]OOIM00NC0l0t-f<l»N 

ICOrH       hconoo  nh  ®nh 

CM(N         rH         CM  t-I 


©CM 

coTMoo'cdio- 


CM  00  CM  CM 


CD  CO  00 

5000 
©  "    - 

IMIM        r-T 


"*iM-*x*C000OSVlCDCvI0it- 
00©00©LOLOrOC-OOLOCMLO 
■x*x*COC-inCOCOC5C5C5COCO 


MIONtJOOOHtHOC-O 

-<*E-rHCO-*©THCO©CM©'«**9<CO 

LO"*©-*CO©©©00©-HI©©© 


©COE~©LO©C~CM  CM©  ©  ©  ©  ' 
"      "    "  ©00f  — 
c~  l>-  I 


loco  cms 


l©COCOLOCM 


rH         CM         CMtHt-I 


NHHrtTdCOHN 


Q    fa 


S   :  :  :g 

fn'  S  O 
C3  ^d 


©   ■   •©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©   •©©© 

©      ;      •©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© w©©©©©©©©©      ;©©© 


03  3 
Hfa 


©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©  ©CO 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTdrtOOxjIMMOOOO^ 


COCOrHCMOc 


>©©© 

>©©© 
iOOOtJIM, 


o  o 
©■cd 


o  O  „,  o  o  o 

:  :oQ   :  : 


PI  © 

cdrt 

£  .0} 


:S 


•  d  s-i    '"O  ,c| 

oQo  :  :  :Qo>bQ   :  :5q  :  :  :  :>Qgo>o  :Qo  :q£q 


i  ©  ©  ©  OS  OS 


ace  ca  uo'd'd'd'Oti'ti'O'dti  3  gg 


©00CM©VDt^00©©CM 
©.JS  ©©©©©©©© 
0000©©©000000©© 


5^fa<Jg§QO 


^dddddddddbiiQ,'yddd_^dryi->i 

<J  1-5  i-j 


bi  >>  j>>d  d,d 


'5,2 -d  p  6  o  o 


+- 

hi 
C 

• 
• 
0  c 

£8 


•00©©©iC©©lO©© 
CO  CO  CM  CO  CO  CO  ■*#  CO 


a 

I: 

a 

m_^^  d  d 
*  *  ©  ci  >r  "d  -d ■>. 

CMW*  I— '?*■      •      •( 


.      .      .    t,   w      .OO 

©LO©      .©©00©©C->      •      •©©>LO©D-x#L0^3      •©      •      • 
t*  CM  ©      •  OS  C-  CM  C-  "*  "*  E>      .      .  lO  x*  f>  f  C-  CO  LO  CO  \M      -00      •      • 


[A! 


;  o  en 
■  s  ce 


CMOS  rH  rH 


hhn: 
©>*••*■ 

XSCO: 


•©©-HCM 
l-*lOWlO 
1  CO  ©  ©  © 


LO©©©rHTHCMCOCOCOrOCOCOCO.-OCOCO- 


c-©©©©< 


.  ©  os : 
cm  cm  : 

iota : 


W 
jS 

-H05  1OCDC- 

J  ©CO  CD  CD  CD 

'©00©©CD© 


-7G 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS 


[bull.  5 


•sarBJiiisi 


•saiij^fN: 


•pToairanqjv 


•oaj^ 


NMrtffl 


c- o  o  ©      ©•  o©      ©©©©      ©  o      ©  ©  ©  to  < 

©  C-  C\)  IM  <M  SM  "*  ©  CXI  00         W         ©©©©©©©  W<N  **  ?CO©©©©  C<1  1 

0005rtTHTHNHMOON!OWtDOOO^^»l>W50HOO!OO^H< 


H«OmmMHH05C0NNHN        ■«*'«*<M< 


OOOOOOOOOONOOOOOOOOOHNOOOOHinoOOl 


'rtl  •>*  C-J  -*  00  ©  ©  ©  ©  .  CO  ^H- **  T*  ** 
W  W  rH  ■<#  <M  00  ©  ©  ■**  -IO^H(M©t-i 
OOHHHOHHO       ■©©©©© 


00©©00©(N©-<*© 
T-HiOC~00©CO©CM'* 
©©W(MCO©CO<M'** 


<*HNMH 

ggggg 


^H  CCI©©©©©  •*#©  ©•^©©•«* 

©— <COCOW'*aOO©OOC\lW-'*<MCO 
OOOOOONOOrfC-'SIMCOO 


©©"HIMIM©         ©©         ©LO.00         < 

©©©©'-HQo©©©"*'*as©'**< 

©©©©©©CO©©©00©©©! 


"3 

CD 

o 
O 

I 


^ 


•aa^^xo  pauinsuoo 


INCO®T«T)I^Hrt' 


ICT>T-ICOOSCOOOaO©CO©©'**©i 

i      Hrt'oirtod    "    ' oo' ed o6 as oo « 


sgpiaomo  ni  ouuomo 


"U01^'BJOdl3A8  no 


©w©ww©©w©Wi-ieciCTscscs©©t-c»cxi«Niw 


©©E-"* 


co  ©  oo  io  ■ 


3^8; 


<©  ea©oo©  **  t-ffo 


IQON         W 


HHHHNO(Crt> 


:§§>.§    :§Sgg   :gggg 


•jopo 


©©©©©©©©©©©©©©o© 
©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 


S    b 


■aoioo 


©©©©© 


A^ipiqanj, 


ocooo^oo 

•S  ^  0T3rO'rC>t3.,-;'OrT3 

QgtO   :   :   :   :q   :   : 


•aaquinu  rmws 


"3  cs  d  d 


>©©       •>* 


d  ™  d    :  o  ss   :2ao 
55   :>   :55  :o53o!z   :5!q5qQ 


>  as  ©  as  as  as  © 
)  oo  oo  oo  oo  oo  oo 


MX9S-<6ffiWrf 


<^.  CO©© 
©©©© 
©©00  00 


oo'w    -oo"©"©*©    't-'t-'ariri 


oooooooo 


,_;  5  o  o  a>  <d  a>  s^3  <p  <x)  p. "a  ^oPb'^Srjoo'Oo 
bbZZOQQh  :fafa<J   :^£<JO  :§^5iO   :% 


o  o    .    .    .  o  o  o  o  o 

1-4-  ©©©-t--r-©©PJ-K-) 1-  'CO-i--<--l-'Ord'C3T3'C3 

ocow^t-OMWOOWor 


•    -5  el  5  e8    •  o  eg 

r     ./■*        .  J~        .  »*-<  It,  .  r^ 


-*  W      -ft 

c-co    -1-4 


MMM    g^^gSSS^^S. 


(/}© 


lOSOTHNCO'*I>a3HO:<*W"«0(NHD-OHM05^ 
iWNNIMNNt-©03l>-*TlltDOOt0  00CD«D«0l><C 
)©©©©©©©  lO  00©©©  ~    " 


HHMNNNNN 


ANALYSES   OF   WATERS. 


00  CO  00  00  SO  ■ 


•  W^OOtH 


•  oo cd -* os oo m co 22 os co c-    -t-oo jh    'SS25E:i2    '    '2°?3K 

■  ioin?)Ni*T)iHOiaooN    •  •«#  c- o    •  co  co  «*  c©    •    •  e-  rj  lo 

•SO         HMNNCO^H         CO      -COCO CO      'HrtrtH      ■      •  CM  ■**  IN 


llOOONOfOWt-l 


oooo      oooo      o  o  cm 

)OOOOOOOtDN05^tO^COOOOHH< 
INH0100»HnW<*inOM<*0^t-rt< 


K3N        CM  rt  "Bd  CO  t- 


lOCOt-NN 


tOMlOC-OOOH-*      .HTjHOSOONOOMNOSCOrtt-NOHOOOOOOJt-gOOj* 
i-HOOOOOOO      -cMOOi-IOCOOOO^O^OOOCMOOOOOOOOOOr-lO^O 

ooSooooo  -oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 


■OOOOth^ho 


lt-IOOL~-r-IO'*OOOOOOOOOC--BHOCMT-lrH«S]e<100000 


igooogoco  :g^sS§ggS5SS 


WHMOOOON^Ol 


'OOOO      -lO 


•  oo<_  _ 

.  r-l  ^H  l-H  r-l  CM  lO  ■ 


lOMNt-Mffl       •005HHN05NXQ005lOCOO'*l>«OmtD         CMCOO 
r-I  CM  CO  LO  ^i  CO       •  CO*  T-H  CM  CM  rH         CM  CM      '»l(5NQO«*lOO<OHHHHN 


>ocm  ooo  m  loooo  mo      loo 

>  CO  LOCO  CO  ' 


mioooHO  oiooora      oo 


<0  0  -*NO 


ICOC~^tHCOlO«rtHLO00C<JCC>00COCOCOCOCOT-t 

!  o  lo  co  co  co  oo  — 

CM  iH  i-t" 


CDCOt-i-H'-Ht-'*<-ICMC<ICKlC\l'*l 


■  OOOOOO      • 

■  OOOOOO      • 


73  c3  ca 


;§§oo    ■    .ooooooogo 


-      •      -OOC 

0    ■  X?o  o  o  o 
^  6  « 


NNMNO' 


Stf 


"C  o 

35-3 


I 


:co 


oooo 
oooo 
oooo 


Ht-       -LO 
CO  -CM 


Oi-HLOCOCDCOCOcOCOLOCOCOCOOCO 


:>   :>QQ  :  :q 


l-»fc 


-^"r(3oO'DOrir<r(r(lU»Do'ODO'Or(0    Jv> 


Q 


O  bo 

a  el 
*  *  *  p,*  d  a'O* 

)  oo  •*  U  eg  co  co  §j  CO  3  £  CC 


p. 
•cc 

el 


c-oooco  i 


•■S&H 


CODS 


cr<  :i-5Zco  :o 


o  o 

■CO*  * 
ICO 

CO  TO 


I^^HHHH 


o£ 
PhCC 


>  CM  COLO 
IMN03 
)COCO^ 


LOCO  ■<* 

Oi-^o 
**00  00 


CMCO- 
00O5C 


<co**co»nco(N'rtcc>oi 


i^^^l01010iO«*^X^^NNNNMHrt' 


I  QCO  H  C-< 

i  LO  CO  CO  LO  I 
•Ni-.lO!Ot0  05  0100NCC05  05N 


llONN^^lia 


a? 

CD  fcJJ 

-Ccp! 


c3  s-i  o 

V  L^  . 

CD  ■— i      -  O 

C3  £CD^ 

p.  ^.S 


2£S 

Eh  £fl 

CD  o<H 
M  CO  O 
!>  c3  o 

c3-d     ' 


'sis  I  si 

O-r- 


*1* 

—t    O    C3 


*3  3 

<^o 


■si  a 


=  3 


o  a  o 
o  6  6 


3S  CD  CD 
O  o  o 

O  c3c3 

CD^^ 


CD  CD  CD 


Si 


iOOO 
>00  t- 

lOOffl 


ISVJCO**lO 


100  WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

Well  Sections  and  Miscellaneous. 

In  the  following  pages  will  be  found  well  sections  and  other  data 
which  it  was  not  possible  to  include  in  the  well  tabulations,  or  in  the 
body  of  the  text.  Some  of  these  facts  are  likely  to  be  of  interest  to 
readers  and  of  value  to  future  investigators.  It  seems  advisable,  there- 
fore, to  include  them  here  as  they  will  be  much  more  serviceable  in 
printed  form  than  in  the  note  books  of  the  survey.  Where  no  addi- 
tional data  were  obtained  the  well  number  is  omitted.  Numbers  which 
appear  on  the  map  (plate  4)  are  also  omitted  where  they  stand  for  a 
location  referred  to  in  the  text,  and  not  for  a  well  as  commonly. 


BOWMAN.] 


LOCATION    OF    WELLS. 


101 


.-.     c3-rH 

bio  c3 
§°o 

<M  iTO  lO 


-br 
So 


an 

as 


a 
o 
+=    ■ 

co  bj) 


QEcJ 


£  o 

Sec 
<u 

SdS^SdSSdd 
3-3  os  o'O  o  o-d-d 
QSPbP   :PP   :  " 


S  o'd 
OP 


o.S 

P 

>d  o 


^5 


odd 


;Po  :mo  :pcco  " 


CO   £ 

71  ° 
3E 


.   v    NnW.. 

§S  I   I   1+   :| 


•jg^aui'BTa 


>0!OHOO'00<Orl!C(0!OMffl 


•qidaa 


((NOCOi 


CMIO  ^H 


•SS13I0 


T3  CI 

tuoo.^  o^^oddd  bu5  000^003.^0 
p  :  :pppp   :  :   :   :ppp   :  :p   :   :psp   : 


CD  CD'O  CD  CD     .CD 

PPCQPP 


.113  9  A 


OS  00  00  00  00  00  a 

1 

COCO  IO 

OOIO 

OS  00  OS 

.  OS  "*  Irt  IC  **  OS  to 

•  O0  CO  OS  OS  00  £  00 

0 

S 

££ 

& 

£ 

£ 

£ 

00 

os 

00 

OS 

;oo 

P3Q5 

S 

« 

S 

.« 

55  55 

55 

55 

55 

Jfc  . 

OS  OS  00  OS  OS 


OOOOOO00OOOOO 
OS  OS  OS  OS  00  OS  OS  OS  O  OS 


os  os 
P5tf 

,.  OCOOmOOnm 

Bh'  :  :  :  :h  :  :h  :.:  :  :h  :  :^H 


lOidOOOioOOOO. 


PH 


aso 

55  55 


BH 


££ 

£ 

aso 

0 

tftf 

S 

5555 

55 

wMOOOOc^iOOevi 

hh  :   :  :  :B   :   -^ 


S3 
f-i  0  *■< 

C3C3 


O 

o 

S3 

OOcjOO 

so  300 

°CD^   OO 

bflP.|o££ 

1p^'33°os3^ 


aT3 


*  si°§  Swap's  .s^  §£■ 

5i>wt3'm«<jwawp3bsciH5&: 


a^ 


w* 


.  CD 

CD  ^.O 

-,  J3  CD 
3  ^  CD 
>  CDCA 

to  4-3  . 
OCA  £ 

O  O  CD 


0_CD 
bn'S 

s  3 

flflO 
05  0  +J 

■ssS 

*§e§ 

c3  o  a 

>o^ 


^2o 

^  c  O  CD 

cd'o  enK 
cfl  3  0^ 

^OcDg 

^§  "7J 
•9 .2ls 

2  sab 
'S  a"cD'i! 


So, 


0  o 
OO 

CD  CD 

hi  bx    ir,orr 

2  2o||Q 

CD  CDQ^        &B 

OOh  oo'S 

66-1111 

22§ab£ 

C|  <f  Ph  CD  CD  ^ 
c«  co  h.«.S  S 
Jh  fn  CD  g  5.  o 


102 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


5-2 

!? 

03  p, 


d  d 

a  a 

<D  03 
ftft 


!S« 


&JJfl 


fld  X 


03 

O 
P 

,S        A  C  ai 

5-9'§-a.s. 


11 


od 


a 
o 
o 

hibi 
fl  a 

£d  §  odd 

0  :oo 


cgd  oddddd 


PS  o 


iddddd^  o  csd 
:  :  :  :  :  :£mfa 


•laiauma 


5  5  5  5  5  5  5   6rtNo'wwi   d^  ^  ^    drt^   drt« 
ooocD-snofccodiMd^s^diooooodTHodeo 


•mdGQ 


l(»NOlOONOO»< 

it-oomaiotoinwi 


■<#  to  ■«*  <m  **  OS  oo  t 


>co<m  **co(M 


OiClOCDiC 


•sstJio 


•j-eajt 


>  o  o  b 
Jdd  £ 

:  :  :Q 


d'a  s-i 
:  :p 


a?  : 

O  o  o 


P  o 

Cd 


:§§ 


OOOOOSC 


'  OS  OS  OS  OS  OS  OS  00  OS  OS  OS  OS  OS 


qq  :  :q  :  :qq  :qqq 


ooowcoifl(oto»!ONiflifl»inin(owort 
ooooooo©©r~-oc~t~c-«oosioooao 

OSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO500O500000000000DOSOS00 


OOS 


ZZ   :  :  :fc 


o  o 


86 


dd    .d 


u 


.S  S  a  ft,£ 

O    O    t»  -H    x 

<3  Co  o  £  o 

5H   +3   *=    d  J2   .Q 

<  c3  c3  Co  c3  rs, 


.    CO"" 

So3gg 

o  o  v  .  a 


o 

Q  O 


s5 


+=   CD 
03  5 


£££ 

Add 
o  o  o 
.   .£££doo 

ODD d  d  d  a  d  fl 

ddfl©a3a3"J3+;+3 

srs^aaaWD5p5 

co  73  en  3  fl  p  .t3  .S  •'S  hri 

.S  .3  -S  03  03  03  O" 

'P  S  P  ^  +i  +i  P  p  P     . 


o  o 
DO 


S-i  03  P  CD 

03  03  W  ^ 


s-  co  o  P  O 

'5PJ5^0hOh 

:s^a>a.sa£sgs 


dgdd^D 

r^^oc 


ilOLOLOCOCDCOCOtO=0< 


CSP 
ICSOHMNMT*lO< 
)00OSOSOSOSOSOSOS< 


LOCATION    OF   WELLS. 


103 


&«2 

faEPP 


13 

H  d  s 


So 


asacsd 

ii  cs'd  o"cJ  5  o  cs  ofltifl 
c/2fa  :p   :mQ!xq   - 


il§aidSa,sa>»s*=0 

o  a£  O-O-S  0,3  o^2  OO 
PfafaP  :gPt/)Pofa!z; 


■*  2 

gBddd+add 
o  s-a^'d  o-ccd 
£p  :  :  :5z 


»  o  >?  a  5 « 

§  o  fa  o  P£P 


■<*    00    co    t-    -*< 


>eboci'd  00  ib 


'CO  100 

no  wo 


cooco  1000 


(MMMO 


ooobiosoimo 

'd'CJ'CJ  3*0  fn'O  Sfl 

:  •  :p  :.Q  :Q 


bi 

■^  bu  d  o  d  d 

MP   :P   :   : 


PPP   :  :p 


:PPP   : 


bUOOOO^OO 
p'O'd'O'0  f-t'O'O 

P   :  :   :  :p   :  : 


o 
-6    :  -3 


■Pfl 


CM  05  CO  CO 


8§S 

05  O5  00 


Zd-r-iddddr-idddddddd 

r&  T^    T3  'O  T3  'O    ^  ^  'UJ  "^  "^  ^  T3  ^ 

:H  :  :  :  :h 


cm< 


GO  OS 

OS  OS 

00  GO  GO 


OOOJOS 
05  05  00  00 


05000500  -*005COC5  t^OSGO      •  C~  IO  «*  lO  *#  GO  t 
CO  05  05  CO  05  05  GO  05  GO  GO  CO  GO  GO  GO      •  00  GO  CO  GO  GO  GO  C 


OCO  lOCOCOlO      -CO 


C-O 


tf 


££   -z £   .fc   .fc   .fc 

mh  On  r'  o*  0  6  6  0  dN  dM  dH  o'rt  o  0  6  0  0  0  6  0  6 

'"O       *0  rK^  *&  ""O  T3  ^  *0       ^       ^3       ^       'O  rC3'pO  'O  ^  'O  'O  'UJ  ^ 

HP   :H   ::::::  :H   :H   :^   :B 


000 


HH 


O 

a 

'3. 

i 
1° 

o^ 

*2 
.2  S3 

CD  +0 
P.  3 
3  O 


►sj  CD 


05   05 

fl  d 
o  o 

00 


c3  c3  c3 
3  3  05 

sac 


bf)  bl 

5SS  :§3^^"Sgbig 
ij>>  bc.SgS  d  2  3*= 


3S.o6od-gp,p,flCQte^ 

•1—1  +-3    ^  -□    >-J    X    CO   >T  r*  /-1   Zr 


3  bn3  bj^  be  a; 

'Jj  d  ,§  d  '3  d  2 

^  p. 3  3  3  3^* 
C/3  <fl  fa  <j  CC  <1  O 


.  O 


3£f 

S  05 


X)   d 


:  <s  cd 

OP 

'O  o 


iMS 


o 

d     ;  o^ 

°d  O.^JjPjjj; 

•O^ScDCDCD^'S 


P    C^ 


CD  >i 


;^3 

!  3S 

>  o  p 

>  CO  1—5 


_d  CD  CD  CDk      ,_ 

a^o^PWm^o3. 
j|fa'^|||il 


CD     ^-Q  =3 

3MS« 


CD      CD      CD     .S 


CD      O^.  3 


^ooaortN! 


■  oooooo< 


ISVJMSMMCMIM^ICNIJOOOCOJOCOCOCXICOCOCOCOCO'*'*- 


M     CO      rHSCIO 

10    10    c-  c-  c- 


104 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


-a 

g 
o 
U 


0.8^91111310 


CO 
P 


CI 
S3  O 

5    : 


CuQ 


O'O'O  o^  ^^  O  cS'O'O  CO^S  O  ^  O'O'd  o 


£fa 


ZCOQ 


HOQ 


fflMHN 


•qirtgQ 


•SST3I0 


■0139^ 


ICO  ^  ©  ©< 

)NHO00< 
©©CO<MC 


iNinoojinooM 


ic-fra-"*© 


3  C   3  f-i 

QfflQQ 


OOCOOOObtOO.-^OOOOOOOObiO.^bJIOO^^bljO 
'O'CJ'CJ'O'O'O'CJ  3'O'U  ^'^'O'CJ'O'O'O'O'O  3^3  t-  J3  T3  T3  O  c3  3^ 

::::::   :p   :   :p   :::::::   :p   :-pp   :  :ca^3   : 


00  lO' 
©©< 
00Q0« 


<(O(&00a0N<«COHX<OO9(O>ONN 


>OS  OS  OS  OS  ©< 


■  ©  OS  lO  t—  OS  ©  ©  < 


>ooaooooo©©©©aooooooooo©< 


>*  "*  lO©© 

©©©©© 

OS  ©  OS  ©  OS 


££££ 

00©00© 
(MCOCO(Mr 


00© 

P3P3 

vHCO 


.  "cs  'o'  "O  "ci 


©lO©© 
C-©  ©  © 

oooooooo 


PP 


©© 


SOOOOOOOtB 

d  be  bx  bt  bD  bit  bSi  bl  p. 

^  ^  . 3333333  o  ? 


oor9 


a'jjOOOOOO  oO  o 


±3 

.2^££a> 

SSp=Q  fe 

^.h'O'CJ, 


>M  O  CJ  03  P-( 


s^QlPl,  OiPliPuO.Pl,. 

■  ^  m  x  k  «  tc  to  tc 


^    .^  t,  il,  t,  ^  ?_  p  s-lJ  a 
-k    oooooooo    •■° 


•Sffl' 
fl  3. 


g  o 


a)  -Q 

*  r/-  ©  O 
3^f^W 


9  or 


■SW; 


Sfc> 


p*^  «  a  3 

^ffli-sHi-s 


BOWMAN.] 


WELL  KECOKDS. 


105 


Notes  on  Individual  Wells. 

1A— HARRY  L.  MEYER,  NORTH  ALTON,  ILL. 


Feet. 


Section. 


Yellow     clay 

Sand  and   gravel    (dry) 

Blue  clay,   hard 

Sand     (water) 


2A — LUER  BROS.,    ALTON,    ILL. 

Reaches  limestone.     The  water  is  used  for  cooling  purposes. 

2B ALTON   PACKING   CO.,    ALTON,    ILL. 

A  flowing  well;  the  water,  however,  is  bad  since  it  has  a  large  quantity  of 
mineral  salts,  and  is  used  for  condensing  purposes  only.    Analysis  No.  14,649. 


4 EQUITABLE  POWDER   CO.,    EAST   ALTON,    ILL. 

This  well   is  lined   with  a   36-inch  sewer   piper.     The  water   is   used   for 
drinking  purposes. 

6,  7 BIG  FOUR  RAILROAD,  EAST  ALTON,  ILL. 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness. 


Depth. 


Sand     

Quicksand    .... 

Sand     

Blue  clay   (fire) 


12  42 

12  54 

.25+       54.25+ 


9 HUNTER  BROS.,    EDWARDSVILLE,    ILL. 

This  well  was  not  finished  when  visited  by  the  writer.  Although  the  well 
had  been  sunk  to  365  feet,  water  came  into  it  only  at  the  25-foot  level.  In 
this  respect  it  is  similar  to  the  shallow  wells  in  the  neighborhood.  No  log 
of  the  well  was  kept.    Analysis  No.  14,657. 

18 BIG  FOUR  RAILROAD,  MITCHELL,  ILL. 

Section  consists  of  alluvial  deposits,  "blue  sandy  dirt,"  mixed  with  sand  at 
various  depths.  Water  found  in  abundance  at  25  feet  and  in  coarse  blue  sand 
56  feet  below  the  surface. 

31 — COLLINSVILLE  WATER  CO.,  COLLINSVILLE,  ILL. 

This  number  covers  four  wells  which  are  located  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff, 
beside  the  East  St.  Louis  and  Suburban  Electric  Railroad,  via  Monks  Mound. 
They  are  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  square,  200  yards  apart.  (See  plate  4.) 
Before  the  water  is  used  in  the  boiler  at  the  pumping  station  it  is  run 
through  a  heater  that  takes  out  a  large  part  of  the  matter  which  would 
otherwise  collect  as  a  red  scale  on  the  side  of  the  boilers. 


36 HENRY   SEEBODE,   NEAR  MONK'S   MOUND. 

This  well  is  situated  on  a  low  mound. 


106 


WATER    RESOURCES    OF    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


Lbull.  5 


37 — NEAR   MONK'S    MOUND. 

Section  taken  from  the  field  notes  of  N.  M.  Fenneman.  Samples  kept  by 
S.  L.  Schellenberger,  1121  St.  Clair  avenue,  Bast  St.  Louis.  The  well  is 
located  a  quarter  of  a  mile  southwest  of  well  165,  Monk's  Mound,  in  St.  Clair 
county.    All  samples  marked  C.  D.  Co.    O.  G.  Wilson  was  the  driller. 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness.     Depth. 


Dirt     

Gray     sand 

Very  course  sand,  grains  of  various  rock  as  if  glacial  material 

Coarse    sand    and    gravel    pebbles    of    brown    and    yellow    quartzite, 
greenstone,    etc.,    shells,    fragments 

Black  clay,  almost  non-calcareous 

Limestone  fragments,  may  be  mixed  shale  and  clay 

Gray,     non-calcareous     shale 

Light  black,  clay  or  shale,  non-calcareous 

Same  laminated,  gray  and  white 

Gray  limestone  churned  to  a  yery  fine  sand 

Gray,   very   siliceous  limestone,  possibly   chert,   but  looks   like   sand 
grains  ;  comes  in  large  fragments 

Very  fine  white  to  gray  sandstone,  almost  non-calcareous 

Light  colored  limestone,  churned  to  very  fine  sand 

Light   sandstone,    very    fine 

Dense    white    limestone 

Darker     limestone 

Light  limestone,   dense 

Very    ferruginous    limestone 

Very  ferruginous  limestone,   cherty 

Dense  gray  limestone 

Dense  gray  limestone 

Lighter     limestone 

Gray     limestone 

Darker     limestone 

Limestone  and  chert,  very  ferruginous 

Limestone   less   ferruginous 

Limestone   less   ferruginous 

Limestone   less   ferruginous 

Limestone   less   ferruginous.  .  . " 

Limestone   less  ferruginous,  finely  powdered 

Limestone  less  ferruginous,   some   chert 

Limestone,   largely   chert,   crinoid   stems 

Dark  gray  limestone 

Mostly  white  chert 

Light    colored    limestone,    often    stuck    together    with    light   colored 

clay  which  may  have  been  largely  washed  out 

Blue  calcareous  clay 

Gray   cherty   limestone 

Nearly  all  white  chert,  finely  powdered  but  angular 

Limestone  and  white  chert 

Largely  white  chert,  finely  powdered  but  angular 

Largely  white  chert,  finely  powdered  but  angular 

Largely  white  chert,  as  fine  as  glass  sand 

Limestone  and  white  chert 

Largely    white    chert    fragments 

White  limestone  and  white  chert 

Largely   white   chert   fragments 

Greenish     gray     limestone 

Greenish  gray  limestone,  much  chert  of  similar  color 

Pink    calcareous    clay 

Pink    calcareous    clay 

Limestone  white  to  green  and  red,  crinoid  stems 

Light  green  calcareous  plastic  clay 

Light   colored   dense   limestone 

Light  colored  dense  limestone,  finely  churned 

Mainly  limestone  but  has  Fern  Glen  fragments,  grains 

Finely  powdered  pink  limestone  like  Fern  Glen,  large  silica  grains, 

round     

Finely  powered  but  more  gray  limestone  fragments 

Dark  blue  clay,  slightly  calcareous 

Blue  shale  fragments,  calcareous 

Blue  shale  fragments,  more  gritty,  non-calcareous 

Gray   limestone   chips 

Gray   to   brownish  pink  gritty  limestone,  fragments   are   almost  all 

pink 

Greenish  gray   limestone  fragments 


40 
20 
10 

80 
55 
5 
5 
5 
5 
5 

5 
65 

5 

10 
45 
20 
30 
10 
20 
20 
30 
15 
10 
10 
10 
15 
10 
10 
10 
10 
35 
25 
20 
10 

38 
62 
10 
10 
10 
30 
10 
20 
10 
15 
55 
15 
30 
20 
15 
15 
5 
2 
18 
5 
3 

3 

14 
10 
20 
10 
35 

25 
10 


WELL    RECORDS. 

Monk' s  Mound    Well — Concluded. 


107 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness.     Depth. 


Gray    and   pink    gritty 

Gray    and    pink    gritty 

Gray  and  pink  gritty,  but  churned  to  very  fine  sand 

Gray   limestone    chips 

Gray  limestone  chips,  pink  fragments  still  intermixed 

Gray  limestone  chips,   mostly  pinkish 

Light  gray  limestone,  in  sharp  chips 

Light   gray    limestone 

Light  gray  limestone,  finer  sand  more  rounded 

Light    gray    limestone 

Light  gray  limestone,pyrite  noted 

Light  gray  limestone,   except  pyrite 

White  limestone  ground  to  coarse  sand . 

White  limestone  ground  to  coarse  sand 

White    limestone    fragments ■ 

White  limestone  in  rounded  grains,  some  gray  and  appear  very 
siliceous 

White  limestone,  but  none  of  the  gray  siliceous  grains 

Greenish  gray  shale,  almost  non-calcareous 

Greenish  gray  shale,  almost  non-calcareous 

Dark  gray  or  greenish  gray  limestone,  soft  enough  to  be  a  calcar- 
eou  s     shale 

Pinkish  white,  probably  siliceous  limestone 

Probably     siliceous     limestone,     milk-white 

Probably    siliceous     limestone,     milk-white 

Probably    siliceous     limestone,     milk-white 

Probably     siliceous     limestone,     milk-white 

Siliceous  chips,  large  admixture  of  dark  gray  slaty  grains,  non- 
calcareous 

Siliceous  chips,  large  admixture  of  dark  gray  slaty  grains,  non- 
calcareous   

Siliceous  chips,  the  gray  disappearing 

Gray     limestone 

Lighter,    yellow    limestone 

Lighter,    yellow    limestone 

Lighter,    yellow    limestone 

Brown  gray  limestone,  churned  to  fine  sand 

Brown  gray  limestone,  churned  to  fine  sand 

Brown  gray  limestone,  churned  to  fine  sand 

Siliceous  sand,  round  grains,  plainly  St.  Peters 

Siliceous  sand,  round  grains,  plainly  St.  Peters 


10 
5 
10 

10 
10 
20 

25 

110 
120 
10 
10 
10 
40 

20 

50 

20 

20 

30 

25 

20 

5 

35 

160 

100 

75 


1,210 
1,213 
1,225 
1,230 
1,250 
1,255 
1,260 
1,265 
1,270 
1,275 
1,280 
1.285 
1,255 
1.300 
1,315 

1,325 
1,335 
1,355 
1,380 

1,490 
1,510 
1,520 
1,530 
1.540 
1,  580 

1,600 

1,650 
1,680 
1,700 
1,730 
1,755 
1.775 
1,780 
1,815 
1,975 
2,075 
2,100 


38 NEAE  MONK'S   MOUND.       (SEE   NOTE   NO.    37.) 

Located  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  just  across  the  county  line,  perhaps 
2,000  feet  northwest  of  37.    It  is  also  on  top  of  a  mound  probably  12  feet  high. 

39 VANDALIA    RAILROAD    SHOPS,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 

Lime  and  soda  ash  is  used  to  soften  the  water  and  to  throw  down  a  soft 
scale  which  may  be  discarded  easily. 


41 — CORN  PRODUCTS   REFINING   CO.,    GRANITE    CITY. 

This  number  covers  a  series  of  seven  wells  from  70  to  90  feet  deep  and 
arranged  in  an  east-west  line  on  the  property  of  the  Corn  Products  Company. 
Water  is  obtained  from  clean  well-rounded  gravel.  The  quality  of  the  water 
is  not  first-class  and  the  supply  is  limited.  As  located  at  present,  the  wells 
interfere  with  each  other.  The  water  table  is  depressed  to  the  point  where 
the  pumps 'begin  to  pound  if  driven  to  their  full  capacity.  New  wells  are  to 
be  sunk  and  the  distance  between  wells  increased  to  225  feet.  The  20-foot 
Cook  well  strainer  is  used  in  all  the  wells.  A  slow  movement  of  sand  through 
the  gravel  clogs  the  screen  so  that  back  flushing  is  resorted  to  at  a  pressure 
of  180  to  200  pounds.  This  relieves  the  wells  for  a  week  or  so.  The  original 
size  of  the  screen  opens  were  No.  8,  but  these  clogged  so  quickly  they  were 
redrawn  and  enlarged.  The  enlargement  resulted  in  the  collection  of  sand 
in  the  bottom  of  the  well.     The  bucketing  out  of  this  seems  more  effective 


108  WATER    RESOURCES   OF ' EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  [bull.  5 

than  the  almost  continual  back-flushing  demanded  by  the  smaller  meshed 
screens.  The  degree  of  interference  may  be  determined  from  the  fact  that 
1,000,000  gallons  may  be  pumped  from  one  well  in  24  mours,  while  from  the 
seven  but  3,500,000  or  4,000,000  gallons  may  be  pumped  in  the  same  time. 

42 AMERICAN   STEEL  FOUNDRIES   CO.,   GRANITE   CITY. 

Surface  of  ground  at  well  38  feet  above  low  water  mark.  A  20-foot  Cook 
strainer  is  employed.  If  the  water  is  allowed  to  stand  a  few  hours  a  large 
amount  of  iron  is  precipitated.  The  company  buys  4,500,000  gallons  of  water 
from  the  city  per  month. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness,  i    Depth. 

10 
60 
10 

10 

70 

Gravel     

80 

43 — "MY"  LAUNDRY,   GRANITE  CITY. 

Water  from  this  well  is  used  in  a  laundry  which  uses  in  addition  800 
gallons  of  city  water  daily.  The  city  water  costs  the  laundry  $0.30  per  1,000 
gallons.  The  screen  originally  put  down  was  rusted  through  in  three  years. 
Well  located  in  Madison  on  C  street  between  18th  and  19th  avenues. 

44 HOYT  METAL  CO..   GRANITE  CITY. 

Water  from  this  well  cannot  be  used  in  boilers  as  it  scales  badly.  The 
company  uses  2,000,000  to  3,000,000  gallons  of  city  water  per  month.  Water 
is  obtained  from  limestone  from  a  depth  of  150  to  250  feet,  with  100  feet  of 
bleeding  surface.  Both  the  80-foot  water  in  the  gravel  and  the  150  and  250- 
foot  water  could  be  used  if  a  screen  were  inserted  at  80  feet.  This  is  not 
done  at  present  because  of  the  fear  that  sand  may  enter  and  clog  rock.  Sand 
would  undoubtedly  enter,  but  could  be  bucketed  out  frequently. 

45 NIEDRINGHAUS  STEEL  MILLS  CO.,  GRANITE  CITY. 

Water  is  salty  and  used  only  for  cooling  purposes  in  the  stamp  mills. 

46 AMERICAN  CAR  AND  FOUNDRY  CO.,  MADISON. 

This  number  covers  three  wells  from  64  to  68  feet  deep.  Sand  occurs  above 
the  gravel  from  which  water  is  drawn.  Sixteen-foot  Cook  strainers  are  used. 
Three  wells  yield  500  gallons  per  minute.  Wells  are  6  inches  in  diameter. 
A  4-inch  well  previously  used  clogged  with  sand,  was  dynamited,  with  no 
success,  the  screen  being  torn  to  pieces  and  sand  filling  the  bottom.  It  should 
be  noted  that  dynamiting  is  only  successful  in  rock  and  where  casing  is  not 
employed.  To  dynamite  inside  the  casing  and  in  gravel  or  sand  is  worse  than 
useless.  The  water  is  pumped  into  ponds  for  aeration  and  precipitating  the 
iron  and  to  allow  sand  to  settle.  It  would  be  more  beneficial  to  put  gravel 
in  bottom  of  pond  and  aerate  with  risers. 

47 HELMBACHER  FORGE  AND  ROLLING  MILLS  CO.,  MADISON. 

Use  100,000  to  150,000  gallons  monthly  of  city  water  for  drinking  purposes. 
The  water  is  pumped  into  ponds  for  aeration  and  precipitation  of  iron  as 
above.     The  well  is  supplied  with  a  16-foot  screen. 


BOWMAN.] 


WELL  RECORDS. 


109 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness. 


Depth. 


Sand     , 50 

Gravel     4 

Coarse     sane! .  .  . 5- 


50 
54 
60— 


48 TRI-CITY   ICE    AND   REFRIGERATING   CO.,    MADISON. 

Well  yields  water  so  chalybeate  that  it  cannot  be  used.  Scales  refrigerating 
pipes  so  rapidly  as  to  clog  them  in  a  short  time.  Use  6,000  gallons  of  city 
water  daily  for  ice.  City  water  incrusts  pipes,  but  not  so  rapidly  as  well 
water. 

53,   54 — EMPIRE  CARBON  WORKS,   EAST  ST.   LOUIS. 


* 

Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

1 
70 
29+ 

1 

71 

Coarse  sand  and  gravel 

100 

55 ARMOUR   PACKING   CO.,   EAST   ST.   LOUIS. 

The  water  from  these  wells  is  used  only  for  condensing  and  cleaning.  The 
water  is  raised  by  means  of  cold  air  and  spilled  out  on  a  platform  located 
between  the  power-house  and  the  lard  and  cooperage  buildings.  By  spilling 
the  water  on  this  platform  it  is  aerated  to  such  an  extent  that  a  large  portion 
of  the  iron  contained  in  the  water  runs  down  to  the  ground  into  a  granitoid 
reservoir.  From  this  reservoir  the  water  is  pumped  up  through  a  large  pipe 
to  the  condensing  stacks  on  the  top  of  the  power-house.  The  water  is  then 
delivered  to  the  large  reservoir,  from  which  it  is  distributed  through  pipes  to 
all  parts  of  the  plant  for  cleaning  purposes.  A  yellow  scale  is  deposited  on 
the  platform,  inside  and  outside  of  the  pipes,  and  on  the  sides  of  all  the 
reservoirs  through  which  it  passes. 

The  larger  portion  of  the  water  used  at  the  plant  comes  directly  through  a 
12-inch  main  from  the  city  pumping  station. 

56 SWIFT   &   CO.,   EAST   ST.    LOUIS. 

Ten  wells  have  been  put  down,  but  only  three  are  used.  The  water  ob- 
tained comes  from  the  gravel,  85  feet  below  the  surface.  The  ground  water 
level  varies  from  10  to  30  feet.     The  water  is  used  for  cleansing  purposes. 

57,  58 EAST  SIDE  PACKING  CO.,  EAST  ST.   LOUIS. 

The  water  from  these  wells  is  used  for  condensing  purposes. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Gumbo     

6 
16 
10 
20 

28 
20 

6 
22 
32 

Sand     

Quicksand 

Coa  rse     sand 

52 

Loam     

80 

Coarse     gravel      

100 

110 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


60 RAILWAY  STEEL  SPRING  CO.,  EAST   ST.   LOUIS. 

This  water  scales  the  boilers.  Various  compounds  have  been  used  in- the 
boilers,  but  none  of  them  seem  to  be  satisfactory.  The  Rubra  oil  compound 
is  used  at  present.  At  first  the  company  used  city  water,  but  since  the  plant 
is  located  approximately  four  miles  from  the  pumping  station,  the  well  water 
has  been  found  to  be  more  profitable.     Analysis  No.  14,623. 

61 CARBONIC   DIOXIDE   CO.,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


Section. 


Gumbo     

Quicksand      

Coarse    and    gravel 


The  water  is  used  for  condensing  purposes  only.  It  forms  a  red  scale  % 
to  %  of  an  inch  thick,  which  is  deposited  on  the  condensing  pipes. 

62 MERCHANT  ICE   &    FUEL   CO.,   EAST   ST.    LOUIS. 

Trendlay  avenue  and  the  levee. 

This  well  when  tested  furnished  425  gallons  per  minute.  It  is  lined  with 
an  8-inch  pipe  cut  off  58  feet  from  surface.  Length  of  strainers  over  all  27 
feet  10  inches.  Length  of  opening,  26  feet.  Suction  pipe  from  surface  99.5 
feet. 


Section. 


Filled  earth   and  sand .  , 

Blue    clay,    hard 

Coarse    sand    (water) .  . 

Fine     sand 

Coarse     sand     (water)  . 

Blue    clay 

Gravel  and  coarse  sand 
Very  fine  sand , 


63 — REPUBLIC    IRON    WORKS,    EAST    ST.    LOUISI. 

Use  water  for  wetting  sand,  conduit,  etc.  It  is  also  put  on  ice  and  used  for 
drinking  purposes.  The  employes,  however,  dislike  it.  It  is  not  good  for 
boiler  use,  since  it  contains  too  much  iron  and  organic  matter.  Analysis 
No.  14,677. 

64 HEZEL    MILLING    CO.,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 

The  water  from  this  well  has  not  been  used  for  more  than  a  year  on  ac- 
count of  a  scale  which  forms  with  its  use.  City  water  is  used  at  the  present 
time. 

66,  67 EAST  ST.  LOUIS  &  SUBURBAN  RAILWAY  SHOPS,  EAST  ST.  LOUIS. 

Water  from  this  well  is  used  in  the  boilers  although  it  scales  badly.  A 
mechanical  process  for  boring  out  the  scale  is  used  effectively. 

68 AMERICAN    STEEL   &    WIRE    CO.,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 

The  water  in  this  well  has  been  impregnated  with  waste  from  sulphuric 
acid  vats  and  consequently  is  ruined  for  factory  purposes. 

69 — CENTRAL  BREWING  CO.,   EAST  ST.   LOUIS. 

The  water  is  used  for  cooling  purposes  only.    Analysis  No.  14,619. 


bowman.]  WELL    KECORDS.  Ill 

70 AMERICAN   STEEL  CO.,   EAST   ST.    LOUIS. 

Water  not  used.  Scale  in  the  boilers  is  an  objectionable  feature.  Analysis 
No.  14,620. 

71 ILLINOIS    MINERAL   MILLING  CO.,   EAST   ST.    LOUIS. 

The  water  is  used  for  boiler  purposes.  It  forms  a  scale,  but  not  in  excess 
of  the  city  water.    Analysis  No.  14,622. 

72 — ST.   LOUIS   STEAM  FORGE   &   IRON  WORKS,   EAST    ST.   LOUIS. 

Used  for  cooling  purposes.  It  is  also  used  as  a  drinking  water,  but  is  seri- 
ously objected  to  by  the  workmen. 

73-75 THE    PITTSBURG    REDUCTION    CO.,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS.  . 

In  1905  well  73,  which  was  sunk  in  1903,  had  decreased  in  cipacity  from 
1,100  to  300  gallons  per  minutes.  The  amount  needed  for  the  plant  is  1,100 
gallons  per  minute  for  12  hours,  or  792,000  gallons  a  day.  Since  the  well  did 
not  yield  this  amount  a  new  well  was  sunk,  No.  75.  All  of  the  casing  from 
the  1903  well  was  drawn  except  the  lower  part,  which  broke  away.  It  is 
supposed  that  iron  carbonate  coated  the  screen  and  clogged  the  holes  of  it  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  capacity  was  decreased  as  mentioned  above. 

The  new  well  was  finished  and  strainers  put  into  it  December,  1905.  Bottom 
of  strainer  128  feet  below  100-foot  elevation  and  is  21.5  feet  long  over  all.  It 
was  made  by  the  Cook  Well  Company  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  It  is  a  No.  20  strainer. 
1.5  feet  lapping  inside  of  boring.  The  strainer  is  surrounded  by  a  coarse  sand 
and  gravel  20  feet  thick.  The  well  was  sunk  7  feet  lower  into  a  blue  shale, 
but  it  was  thought  best  to  pull  the  pipe  above  this  and  to  leave  the  strainer 
in  the  coarse  sand  and  gravel. 

This  company  has  devised  a  filtering  process  which  purifies  the  well  water 
before  it  is  used  in  the  boilers  of  the  plant.  The  city  water  is  used  only  for 
drinking  purposes.     Analyses  No.  14,621  and  16,624. 

88 J.    W.    MOSER,    CASEYVILLE,    ILL. 

This  well  had  as  good  water  as  any  other  well  in  the  village  until  the 
spring  of  1906,  when  with  the  heavy  rains  the  water  suddenly  turned  salty 
after  the  well  had  been  pumped  dry.  The  well  was  pumped  dry  at  various 
times  in  less  than  one  hour  with  a  2-inch  double  action  pump,  one-half  gallon 
each  stroke.  The  well  holds  25  barrels  and  30  gallons  with  the  ground  water 
level  10  feet  from  the  top.  The  morning  following  the  day  when  the  well 
was  pumped  dry  the  water  returned  to  its  former  level.    AnaTys's  No.  14,626. 

89 VICTOR  MOSER,  FRENCH  VILLAGE,  ILL. 

Blue  clay,  40  feet;  no  sand. 

90 JESSIE  SCHULTZ,    FRENCH  VILLAGE. 

This  well  is  located  beside  the  county  road  at  French  Village.  It  is  used 
for  drinking,  stock  and  other  purposes.    The  well  is  very  old. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness." 

Depth. 

Loess 

15 

.25 
2 

18+ 

15 

15.25 
17  25 

Gravel     

Blue    shale 

White     sand 

35.25+ 

112 


WATEK    EESOUROES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


92a EDWARD  FRANCOIS,  FRENCH  VILLAGE,  ILL. 

Pumping  two  full  hours  through  a  1%-inch  pipe  will  empty  this  well. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Loess     

5 
2 

9+ 

5 

Blue    clay 

7 

Sand     

16+ 

Oftentimes  Schoenberger  creek  overflows  and  the  flood  water  flows  into 
the  wells  and  cellars  in  the  vicinity  of  the  well.  When  the  creek  is  normal 
water  often  stands  2  feet,  3  inches  deep  in  the  cellars  which  are  approxi- 
mately 4  feet,  5  inches  deep.  Not  only  is  this  true  of  cellars  in  the  valley 
of  the  creek,  but  in  the  hill  side  as  well. 


92 — J.   L.  BOISSEAU,  FRENCH  VILLAGE,   ILL.. 

This  well  is  located  90  yards  from  the  bank  of  Schoenberger  creek. 
flood  times  water  flows  into  the  top  of  the  well. 


At 


94 — P.  H.  TRAHAND,  EDGEMONT,  ILL. 

This  well  is  located  at  the  foot  of  the  bluffs  at  Edgemont,  440  feet  above 
tide.  The  well  is  lined  with  a  12-inch  casing  projecting  6  feet  above  the  sur- 
face. If  the  casing  were  not  so  high  the  well  would  flow;  instead,  water  is 
pumped  out  of  it  to  supply  a  large  bottling  trade. 

97 — SUPERIOR  COAL  &  MINING  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Salt  water  was  encountered  approximately  450  feet  below  the  surface.  It 
was  cased  off  and  the  well  put  down  to  its  present  depth,  585  feet. 

99— priester's  park,  BELLEVILLE,  ill. 

Well  supplies  water  to  the  St.  Clair  County  Club  and  to  the  park.  It  is 
bottled  and  sold  on  the  market.  Pumps  with  ,4-inch  working  barrel,  estimated 
production  25,000  gallons  per  day. 

100 PETER    VOELLINGER,    BELLEVILLE,    ILL. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Soil 

10 
4 

16+ 

10 

14 

Shale,     blue 

30 

Water  comes  into  the  well  through  gravel. 

102,  103 ST.  CLAIR  VINEGAR  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Former  head  of  water  493  feet;   present  head  39a  feet.     Water  does  not 
scale  boilers. 


109 — CASPAR    STOLLE    QUARRY   &    CONSTRUCTION    CO.,    STOLLE,    ILL. 

The  water  in  this  well  is  from  gravel  below  42  feet  of  fine  sand.  Like  the 
water  in  the  springs  in  the  limestone  bluff  nearby  the  water  in  this  well  be- 
comes oily  after  a  rain. 


jOWMAN.] 


WELL    RECORDS. 
113-J.    N.    CABLETON,   EAST   CARONDELET,   ILL. 


113 


Sand   and   loam 

Gumbo    . . 

Quicksand 
Gravel     (water) 


116— JOE   A.    KUBBTJS,    CAHOKIA,    ILL. 

This  wen  was  put  down  by  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trust  Co. 
J^^*^™«£*»  **  ^  fittin§S' 


129-0^LL0N  ELECTBIC  LIGHT  tM»«^«^ 
Section 


Feet. 


Brown     loam •  •  •  • 

Black  clay,  hard,  tough 
Quicksand 


Each  well  has  8-foot  strainer.    Analysis  No.  14,627. 

139—SIAB  BBEWEBY,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

The  three  wells  of  the  Star  Brewery  were  ahandonedb^ause^  they  ^ 
nJhed  anTnsufficient  supply.    Water  could  ^  tod  tor  °£|  a^      ^ 
pumping  only  after  ^^^ptagged    n  1904.    At  present  Impounded 
^ZVXtZ^ZoA  ofthe  plant  Is  used. 


Soil    and    clay 
Sand    and    gravel. 

Clay    • 

Hard    limestone 

Close    grained 

Coal     

T^lTG       Cl&Y     •••** 

Shale   and   soft  sandstone 

Sandstone     

Black    shale 

White     sand 

Soft     shale 

Sandstone    

White    sand...  ••••• 

Gray   sand  and   shale 

White    shale 

Red    shale . 

Soft     sandstone 

Hard     sandstone 

Gray    sandstone 

Limestone     


— 8G 


114 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


At  298  feet  there  was  considerable  water  but  no  casing  was  needed  to  shut 
it  out.  At  325  feet  there  was  an  abundance  of  water.  Fresh  water  to  514- 
foot  level.    Salt  water  was  encountered  in  the  massive  limestone. 


143 — HAERISON    SWITZER   MILLING    CO., 

BELLEVILLE, 

ILL. 

Feet. 

Section. 

Thickness . 

Depth. 

Soil     

8 
4 

46 

38 

6 

2 

142 

40 

32 

6 

15 

66 

8 

Limestone    

12 

Clay     

58 

Limestone     

96 

Coal     

102 

Fire   clay 

109 

"Hard  rock,"  limestone  and  shale 

246 

286 

318 

Shale    

324 

340 

White     sand 

406 

145 BELLEVILLE  DEEP    WELL  WATER  CO.,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Well  equipped  with  4-inch  working  barrel  nd  has  an  estimated  capacity  of 
30,000  gallons  a  day. 

149 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Well  not  being  operated  but  equipped  with  pump,  pipe,  cylinder  and  rods; 
capacity  estimated  at  12,000  gallons  a  day.  Value  of  well  supposed  to  have 
been  impaired  by  sinking  a  6-inch  casing  below  sand  rock;  said  casing  be- 
came fast  in  well;  part  of  it  drilled  out. 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness .     Depth 


Clay     

Gravel    

Limestone     

Shale    

White     sandstone 

Shale     

White     sandstone 

Shale     

Sandstone     

Gray    shale 

Sandstone     


25 
28 
42 
167 
205 
305 
312 
337 
405 
411 
641 


150 — BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Well  abandoned   because   of  the   small   amount   of  water   delivered — 9,000 
gallons  a  day. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Clay     

34 
10 

7 
18 

5^ 
25 
34 
195 
23 
20 

34 

Limestone     

44 

Coal     

51 

69 

76 

Shale     

135 

160 

194 

Shale     

389 

412 

432 

BOWMAN.] 


WELL    RECORDS. 


115 


151 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER   CO.,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness 

Depth. 

Soil  and  drift 

30 
15 

5 
15 

5 

30 
50 
10 
40 
40 
60 
10 
19 
71 
27 

5 
23 

30 

Limestone     

45 

Shale     

50 

Limestone     

65 

Coal     - 

70 

Shale     

100 

Limestone     

150 

Sandstone     

160 

Gray    shale 

200 

Limestone     

240 

Shale     

300 

310 

Red   shale    

329 

Sandstone 

400 

427 

432 

455 

Equipped  with  Gould  head;  capacity,  27,000  gallons  a  day. 

153 BELLEVILLE  DEEP   WELL  WATER  CO.,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Nine  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  6-inch  water  pipe;  equipped  with  deep 
well  pump;  Gould  head;  estimated  production,  65,000  gallons  a  day;  50,000 
gallons  capacity  electric  pumps ;  trouble  with  sand ;  after  cleaning  expect 
production  to  be  75,000  gallons  a  day. 

154 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER   CO.,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Equipped  with  Dowie  head;  -35,000  gallons  a  day. 

155 BELLEVILLE  DEEP   WELL  WATER  CO.,   BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Well  abandoned  and  casing  removed  on  account  of  insufficient  water; 
capacity,  four  gallons  per  minutes. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Ciay     

34 
10 
6 

18 
7 
59 
25 
34 

195 
23 

158 

34 
44 

Limestone     

Coal 

50 

Shale     

68 

B5 

Limestone     

Sandstone     

134 

Limestone     

159 
193 
388 
411 
569 

Sandstone     

Shale     

Sandstone     

Limestone    and    shale 

116 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


[bull.  5 


156 — BELLEVILLE  DEEP   WELL  WATEE  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Well  is  not  in  use. 


Section. 

Feet. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Clay     

9 
19 

105 
46 
53 

134 
34 
25 

9 

Pine     sand 

28 

Clay  and  shale 

133 

Limestone     

179 

Sandstone      

232 

Shale     

366 

Sandstone      

400 

Limestone     

425 

157 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

This  well  supposed  to  have  crevice  in  the  rock;  has  never  heen  successfully 
operated  with  air;   7%  casing;   5-inch  air  pipe;   2%-inch  water  pipe. 

158 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Seven  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  5-inch  air  pipe;  2%-inch  water  pipe. 
Estimated  production  22,000  gallons  a  day;  30,000  gallons  capacity  electric 
pumps. 

159 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,   ILL. 

Well  reaches  rock.  To  get  rid  of  the  excess  of  iron  the  water  is  passed 
through  a  filter  before  using  it. 

159 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Not  considered  a  good  well;  7%-inch  casing;  casing  removed  March,  1900. 

160 — BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Seven  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  5-inch  air  pipe;  2%-inch  water  pipe; 
estimated  production,  22,000  gallons  a  day. 

161 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Seven  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  5-inch  air  pipe;  2%-inch  water  pipe; 
estimated  production,  30,000  gallons  a  day. 

162 — BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Seven  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  5-inch  air  pipe;  2%-inch  water  pipe; 
estimated  production,  28,000  gallons  a  day. 

163 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WATER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,  ILL. 

Well  abandoned;  7%-inch  casing.    Casing  removed  in  March,  1900. 

164 BELLEVILLE  DEEP  WELL  WA1ER  CO.,  BELLEVILLE,    ILL. 

Seven  and  five-eighths-inch  casing;  5-inch  air  pipe;  3-inch  water  pipe;  esti- 
mated production,  32,000  gallons  a  day;   depth,  575  feet. 

176 — GEORGE    HAIG,    CASEYVILLE,    ILL. 

Water  found  in  a  sand  bed  7  feet  thick,  38  feet  below  the  surface.  This 
sand  disappears  a  short  distance  to  the  east,  rock  and. coal  taking  its  place. 
Two  hundred  yards  east  of  the  well  a  bluff  appears  in  which  coal  and  rock 
are  found  in  place  30  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  flood-plain.  Analysis 
No.  14,629. 

178 — DONK    BROS.'    COAL    CO.,    MARYSVILLE,    ILL. 

This  well  was  put  down  by  the  Donk  Bros.'  Coal  &  Coke  Company,  Marys- 
ville,  111.,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  northeast  of  the  mine.  Rock  was  struck 
at  75  feet.  The  well  was  dug  this  far  and  then  drilled  to  120  feet.  The  water 
contains  sulphur  and  was  unfit  for  drinking  purposes. 


BOWMAN.] 


WELL  RECORDS. 


ir 


179 MORRIS   PACKING   CO.,    EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 

Water  used  for  condensing,  cleaning  and  fire  purposes. 

208 JOE   G.    KURRUS,    EAST    ST.   LOUIS. 

This  well  is  located  on  101  North,  Third  street,  East  St.  Louis.  The  v/ell 
was  put  down  for  laundry  purposes.  The  water  appeared  to  have  no  bad 
effect  until  the  clothes  were  put  in  the  drying  house,  when  they  turned  yellow 
on  account  of  the  large  amount  of  iron.  The  water  is  used  at  present  for 
stock  purposes. 

182 JOHN  SCHMIDT,   NEAR  MONK'S  MOUND. 

Well  located  on  level  ground  at  the  foot  of  Schmidt's  mound. 

18.4 — MILLSTADT  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  CO.,  MILLSTADT,  ILL. 


Section. 


Feet. 


Thickness.     Depth 


Clay 

Coal     

Fire     clay, 
Limestone 
Shale     .  . . 


50 


139 


Sandstone     

Limestone,    hard,    flinty. 


75 
300 


230 
530 


The  above  is  an  oral  statement  by  Mr.  Jacobus.  It  is  not  complete,  but 
since  no  log  was  kept,  it  is  the  best  that  can  be  offered. 

188 EQUITABLE   POWDER   CO.,    EAST   ALTON,    ILL. 

Limestone  of  varying  texture  from  80  feet  to  900  feet.    The  water  is  salty. 

191 — JOHN  DALMER,   MASCOUTAH,    ILL. 

This  well  is  within  the  sink  hole  district.  When  it  was  first  dug  no  water 
was  found,  but  after  it  had  been  filled  with  dirt  and  rock  and  reopened  there 
was  plenty  of  water.  A  clogged  sink-hole  filled  with  water  stands  100  feet  to 
the  south. 

192 HENRY  MILLER,   MASCOUTAH,  ILL. 

Well  in  limestone;  sunk  in  a  crevice  of  the  rock.    Nearby  wells  unsuccessful. 

193 P.  H.  POSTEL  MILLING  CO.,  MASCOUTAH,  ILL. 


Feet. 

Section. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

To    first     sand 

30 

5 
5 

30 

Quicksand 

35 

White     sand 

40 

Gravel    at 

57' 

Through    glacial    deposits 

104 

Limestone 

8 
30 

3 

6 
15 
10 
25 

5 

50 
40 
45 
45 
35 

112 

Ha  rd    shale 

142 

Limestone 

145 

Coal 

151 

Shale     

166 

Limestone     

176 

Shale     

201 

Coal    

206 

White     shale 

256 

Blue     sha  le 

296 

White    shale 

341 

Red     rock 

386 

Shale     

421 

118 


WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS. 


Lbull.  5 


Postel  Milling  Co — Concluded. 

Feet. 

Section. 

Thickness. 

Depth. 

Well  caved  in  and  had  to  clean  up  hole 

Shale     

119 

5 

45 

25 
20 

55 

20 

20 

470 

420 

390 

70 

129 

127 

449 

58 

7 

51 

171 

540 

Limestone     

545 

Sandstone     

590 

Shale     

615 

Limestone     

635 

Well  caved  in  and  had  to  clean  up  hole 

Red    rock 

690 

White     shale , 

710 

Sandstone 

730 

Limestone     

1,200 
1,620 
2,010 
2,080 

Shale     

Marl     

2  206 

Shale 

2,333 

2,782 
2,840 
2,847 
2,898 
3  069 

Limestone     »; 

Shale     . 

Limestone     

Shaly     limestone 

Amount  of  12-inch  casing  used,  108  feet. 
Amount  of  7%-inch  casing  used,  519.9  feet. 
Amount  of  5%-inch  casing  used,  91  feet. 
Amount  of  3-inch  casing  used,  feet. 


SUMMARY  OF  CONCLUSIONS. 
(By  Isaiah  Bowman.) 

Although  a  general  conclusion  accompanies  each  section  of  that  part 
of  the  report  relating  directly  to  water  supply,  a  brief  and  general  sum- 
mary of  these  conclusions  will  serve  in  this  place  to  emphasize  the  more 
important  results  of  the  present  study. 

Conclusions  Regarding  Surface  Sources  of  Water  Supply. 

(i)  In  those  sections  of  the  district  where  limestone  lies  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground  water  and  is  extensively  dissolved  out  by  perco- 
lating waters,  the  available  water  is  karst  water.  Its  recovery  is  much 
more  difficult  than  is  the  recovery  of  the  ground  water  be'ow  it,  which 
it  feeds.  In  this  district  underground  water  occurs  in  the  manner  in 
which  ground  water  is  popularly  but  erroneously  supposed  to  occur — 
that  is  to  say,  in  definite  underground  channels.  By  reason  of  the 
quick  descent  of  rain  water  to  these  underground  passages  karst  water 
is  often  dangerous  for  drinking  purposes,  and  the  population  is  driven 
to  the  use  of  rain  water  conserved  in  cisterns. 

(2)  The  supply  of  water  from  streams  is  not  used  to  the  fullest 
extent  today  because  of  the  ease  with  which  ground  water  may  be  ob- 
tained. The  Mississippi  river  is  drawn  on  for  city  supply  in  East 
St.  Louis  and  a  few  adjacent  towns.  The  water  is  extremely  roily 
when  first  drawn,  but  by  the  processes  of  filtering,  aerating,  sedimenta- 


bowman. J  WELL    EECOED.  119 

tion,  baffling  and  by  chemical  treatment,  it  is  made  clean  and  pure  and 
wholesome.  It  scales  boilers  to  some  extent,  but  not  so  much  as  the 
ground  water,  whose  use  is  supersedes.  Use  can  likewise  be  made  of 
tributaries  of  the  Mississippi. 

(3)  A  number  of  ox-bow  lakes  and  artificial  reservoirs  are  utilized, 
but  the  extent  to  which  this  is  done  is  and  always  will  be  quite  limited. 
The  lakes  are  roily  in  spite  of  some  degree  of  natural  sedimentation, 
and  the  rank  growth  of  vegetation  and  the  large  amount  of  city  wastes 
dumped  into  them  would  lead  to  deleterious  effects  were  the  water  used 
for  drinking  purposes.  The  reservoirs  are  favorable  means  for  secur- 
ing a  puvlic  supply,  except  to  the  extent  to  which  the  watershed  is  con- 
taminated by  wastes.  The  growth  of  vegetation  on  their  botoms  and 
shores  may  easily  be  prevened  by  deepening  and  graveling  the  bottom 
and  paving  the  sides. 

Conclusions  Regarding  Underground  Sources  of  Water  Supply. 

(4)  For  drinking  and  other  ordinary  domestic  purposes  the  ground 
water  of  the  flood-plain  deposits  must  always  constitute  the  chief 
source  of  supply  to  the  flood  plain  population.  By  virtue  of  the  fact 
that  fine  sands  overlie  the  coarser  sand  and  gravel  from  which  the 
water  is  derived,  the  purity  of  these  waters  under  ordinary  conditions, 
must  always  be  assured.  Not  that  the  fine  sands  prevent  the  downward 
movement  of  the  rain  water  into  the  gravels  and  coarse  sands,  but  that 
they  enforce  a  movement  sufficiently  slow  to  insure  pretty  thorough 
filtration.  The  gravel  and  coarse  sand  are  not  more  thoroughly  sat- 
urated with  water  than  the  fiend  sand  above  them,  but  their  water  is 
more  available  and  wells  are  not  regarded  as  successful  which  do  not 
reach  lenses  of  coarser  material.  For  boiler  purposes  the  flood-plain 
water  is  not  desirable  in  its  natural  state,  being  too  heavily  charged 
with  calcium  and  magnesium  carbonates.  The  use  of  compounds  is  re- 
quired with  it.  Several  companies  are  considering  the  erection  of 
purifying  plants  which  will  enable  the  use  of  this  water,  but  at  present 
city  water  is  used  in  the  boilers. 

(5)  The  greater  part  of  the  upland  wil  lalways  be  supplied  with 
water  from  shallow  wells  in  favorable  localities  in  the  loess  and  drift, 
the  bottom  of  the  well  lying  a  few  feet  below  the  level  of  the  water 
tabe.  No  special  features  of  water  quality  or  means  of  acquisition 
need  be  summarized  here  as  the  problem  is  wholly  one  of  the  simple 
dug  or  driven  well  of  the  ordinary  type. 

(6)  The  deeper  waters  are  all  highly  mineralized  and  occur  under 
much  greater  head  than  the  shallow  supplies.  They  are  not  valuable 
except  for  their  medicinal  properties,  either  real  or  supposed,  and  can 
never  enter  directly  into  the  problem  of  water  supply  in  a  serious  way 
except  by  possible  pollution  of  sweet  surface  waters.  Occuring  with 
such  a  great  head  and  with  strong  mineral  substances  in  solution,  they 
must  sooner  or  later,  with  the  decay  of  the  casings,  enter  upper  hori- 
zons to  the  exclusion  of  desirable  waters.    These  upper  waters  are  even 


120  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.-  [bull. 

at  present  too  hard  for  boiler  use;  and  will  be  totally  unfit  for  such  use 
if  re-enforced  by  the  water  from  deep  sources.  It  would  be  calamitous, 
indeed,  should  such  a  displacement  ever  occur,  and  it  cannot  be  toe 
strongly  urged  that  the  State  adopt  measures  which  will  give  the  upper 
horizons  adequate  protection. 


INDEX. 


121 


Page. 

47 

3 

27 

55 

22-23 

9 

105 
69 

113 
23.. 

108 
75 

102 

111 

108 
74 

110 
94 
73 
96 
23 
65 
67 
13 

109 
55 
20 
31 


58 
103 

73 
4 

39 
104 

23 
116 

22 
103 

76 

40 

62 

61 
116 
101 
105 
103 
112 

25 


UJlUtlgiuum 


1 

8 

18 

118 

29 

6 
43 


120  WATER    RESOURCES   OF   EAST    ST.    LOUIS.-  [bull.  5 


INDEX.  121 


INDEX. 


A. 

Page. 

Accretions   to   ground   water 47 

Acknowledgements 3 

Alluvial     deposits 27 

Alton,   depth   of  well 55 

Exposure    near " 22-23 

Junction,  betrunked  streams,  near ,  9 

Packing    Co.    well    101,    ;     105 

Water    system - 69 

American  Bottle  Co.,  well 103,  113 

Bottoms 23 .  . 

Car  &  Foundry  Co.,   well 101,  108 

Car  &  Foundry  Co.,   analysis 75 

Carbon  &  Battery   Co.,   well 102 

Steel    Co.,    well 102,  111 

Steel   Foundries  Co..   wells 101,  108 

Steel  Foundries  well,   analysis 74 

Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  well 102,  110 

Analysis,  mineral,  tables  of 83,  94 

Of    waters 73 

Sanitary,   table   of 95,  96 

Anderson   quarry    section 23 

Aquifer   at   Belleville 65 

At    Edwardsville 67 

Arid   climate  streams 13 

Armour  &  Co.,  well  analysis 81,  101,  109 

Artesian     wells 55 

Of    Western    Illinois 20 

Availabilities  of  Mississippi   river   water . 31 

B. 

Bacon,   J.   E.,  Acknowledgement  to 58 

Badgly,    Austin,    well • 103 

Bartow,    E.,    Acknowledgement 73 

Basic  points  in   railway   transportation 4 

Bayou    water 39 

Beal  Bros.,  well 104 

Bedford    limestone 23 

Belleville,  Deep  Well  Water  Co.,  wells 103,  114,  115,  116 

Exposure    near 22 

Stove  and  Range  Works,  wells .  . 103 

Water,    analysis 76 

Water    supply 40 

Water    system 62 

Water   works   wells 61 

Wells   at 113,    114,  116 

Benbow,  A.  E.}  well 101 

Big  Four  Railroad  wells 101,  1 05 

Boisenne,  N.,   well 1 03 

Boisseau,   J.   L.,   well 102,  11 2 

Bowlder    clay 25 

Bowman,   Isaiah,  and  Chester  Albert  Reeds — Water  Resources  of  the   East   St. 

Louis     District 1 

Bowman,   I.,   cited 8 

Nature    of    hydrological    investigations 18 

Summary    of    conclusions 118 

Surface    waters    of   district 29 

Topographical  features  of  district 6 

Underground   sources   of  water   supply 43 


122  INDEX. 

Page. 

Bridges  at  East  St.  Louis 5 

Brouilette    creek ' 16 

Burg,   John,   well 103 

Burget,    Otto,   water   analysis 82 

Burkville,   exposure    near * '         22 

Sink  holes  near 12 

Wells    near 51 

Burlington    limestone 22 

Bushberg    sandstone 21 

Business  facilities  in  East  St.  Louis  District 6 

Butterwich,    Frank,    well 104 

C. 

Cabaret   Island   pumping  plant ;.........  32 

Cahokia  creek 14,  34,  44 

Flood  plain  changes  at 28 

Well    at 113 

Carbonic    Dioxide    Co.,    wells 102,  110 

Carlton,   J.   N.,  well 103,  113 

Casey  ville,    analysis 97 

Betrunked  streams  near 9 

Site    of 10 

Well    at 116 

Casey  ville    wells 69 

Casing,    defective 57 

Longevity     57 

Caspar   Stone  Quarry  Co.,   spring 52 

Well     103,  112 

Catchment  area  of  artesian  basins 56 

Caves     10,  23 

Centerville,  betrunked   streams  near 9 

Drainage    of , 16 

Central   Brewing  Co.,   well 102,  110 

Chamberlin  and   Salisbury   cited    8 

Chauvenet,  Regis,  analysis  by 76,  77 

Chenot,   Augustus,    well 103 

Chester,    group 22 

Sandstone  near  Burkesville    12 

Citizens'  Ice  Co.,  well 103 

Cisterns    29 

City,  supplies  and  systems 62 

Water   Co 32,    33,  37 

Clark,  W.  A.,  well 104 

Classifications  of  drainage  systems 13 

Cleaning   river    water 35 

Coal    measures •  • 23 

Collinsville,   analysis 97 

Water  Co.,  wells 101,   103,  105 

Water  system 68 

Columbia,  exposures  near . .  .20,  22 

Conclusions  regarding  underground  water  level 48 

Conclusions,    summary    of 118 

Construction    of    cisterns 29 

Contamination  of,  karst  water 54 

Pond  waters 42 

Corn  Products  Co.,  well,  analysis 74 

Refining  Co.,  wells 101,  1 07 

Cost  of  Alton  water  system 70 

Collinsville    water    system 68 

Edwardsville  water  system 67 

D 

Dahmer,  John,  well 104 

Dallas,  Texas,  pollution  by  artesian  water 59 

Dalmer,   John,  well . 117 

Datum  at  St.  Louis 13 

Daughin,    Lewis,   well 103 

Dearborn  Laboratory,   analysis 74 

Decrease  of  head  at  Belleville 64 

Deep    wells-  • , . . 55 

Deep  well  at  Monks  Mound 106 

Defective     casing 57 

DeLorme,  Joe,  well 102 

Depth    of    alluvium 27 

Devonian 21 

Difficulties  in  using  Mississippi  river  water 31 

Directions  of  underground  water  movement 43 

Donk  Bros.  Coal  Co..  well 104,  116 


INDEX.  123 

Page. 

Drainage  of  district 13 

Drift    25 

Waters    of • 60 

Droit,  C.  W.}  well 103 

Druitt    creek 28 

Dudley,  Chas.  B.,  water  analysis  by 82 

Dupo,   analysis   of  water 97 

Dupont,  E.  I.  Co.,  well ■. 102 

E 

Basley,   H.   L.,  well 104 

East    Alton,    analysis 97 

High  water  at .  . 14 

Wells     70,  117 

East   Carondclet,    wells 72,  113 

East  St.  Louis,  analysis 97 

District,    water  resources   of 1 

Pumping    station 32 

Water    analysis 81,  82 

Water     system 73 

And  Suburban  Ry.,  well 102,  110 

Wells    at. . 117 

Eastside  Packing  Co.,'  wells'.'. ... 7.7.  .7.7.7 102,  109 

Eckerts'   cave 23,   52,  53 

Economic  Features  of  East  St.  Louis  district 4 

Edgemont,   analysis 98 

Depth    of   well 55 

Edwardsville,    analysis „ 98 

Coal  Co.,   shaft  log 61 

Water,   analysis 78,    79,  180 

Water   Co.,   wells 101 

Water     supply .  40 

Water     system 65 

Empire   Carbon   Works,    well. 101,  109 

Equitable  Powder  Mfg.  Co.,  well 71,  101,  104,  105,  117 

Ernst,   Ringring,   well 101 

Excelsior  Tool  and  Machine  Co.,  supply 39 

Extent  of  East  St.  Louis  District 2 


Falling    Spring 52 

Analysis 99 

Exposure    near 22 

Fenneman,  N.  M..  work  of ' 18 

Ferdinand  and   Kellar,   well 101 

Filtration  at  East  St.  Louis  and  Granite  City 36 

Flood  heights 14,  15,  18 

Flood  Plain,  of  Mississippi 7 

Wood   river 14 

Wells    49 

Flood    waters 43 

Flooding  of  mines  by  artesian  water 60 

Flowing    wells 55 

Francois,  Edward,  well . .  102,  112 

Freeburg  Water  Co.,   well 104 

French   Village,    cite   of 10 

Drainage    of 16 

Fuller,  M.  L.  acknowledgement  to 3 

G 

Geologic  Section,  Collinsville  to  St.  Louis 25 

Mascoutah  to  Jefferson  Barracks 24 

Geology  of  District  by  C.  A.  Reeds 18 

Glacial    deposits 25 

Glen   Carbon   water   supply 40 

Wells 71 

Glen  Park,  Mo.,  exposure  near 20,  21 

Goerz  quarry  exposure 21 

Goundlach,   J.  P.,  well 103 

Granite  City,  deep  well 56 

Depth  of  filling 27 

Depth  of  well 55 

Pumping  plant 32 

Water     system 73 

Well,    analysis 74 

Ground    water 9,  48 

Of  the  Karst 50 

GrOves,  H.  M.,  well '. 101 


124  INDEX. 


Page. 

Hagedorn,  C.  F.,  analysis  by 81 

Haig,    George,    well 104,  116 

Hammer  Bros.  Lead  Works,  well 102 

Hare,  J.   L.,  well 103 

Harold,    John,  well . 104 

Harrison   Switzer  Milling  Co.,   well 103,  114 

Helm,     cited. 13 

Helm,  E.  G.,  well 102,  104 

Helmbacher  Forge  &  Rolling  Mills  Co.,  well 101,  108 

Hezel  Milling  Co.,   well 102,  110 

Hill,  R.  T.,  cited 59 

Hoiser,   Louis,   well 103 

Horse    Shoe    Lake 15 

Hoyt  Metal   Co.,   well,   analysis. 75 

Wells     101,  108 

Humid   climate   streams 13 

Hunter    Bros.,    well 101,  105 

Hydrographic  Features  of  District,  C.  A.  Reeds 13 

Hydrologic    investigations,    nature    of 1 

I 

Illinois  Mineral  Milling  Co.,  well 102,  111 

Indian    Creek .  . 16 

International   Leather   Co.,   well 102 

Interstate  Cooperage  Co.,   well -. 101 

Inundations  and  underground  water  level 46 

Iron  Mountain  Railway,  well 103 

J 

Johnson,  V.  G.,  well 103 

Judys    branch 40 

Wells    along 71 

K 

Karst,  features  of 10 

Water 50 

Wells    of 54 

Kasina,    Louis,    well 103 

Keefaber,  W.  P.,  analysis  by r 40 

Keesterer,   John,  well 104 

Keller,    well 56 

Keokuk     Limestone 22 

Kimmswick,   Mo.,   exposure  near 20,  21 

Kinderhook 22 

Knobelock,    Julius,    well 103 

Kurrus    wells 103,    104,    113,  117 

L 

Lakes  as  sources  of  water  supply 39 

Land  values  in  East  St.  Louis  District '. 6 

Leivy ,   P.   B.,   cited 44 

Levees 17 

Level  of  underground  water 44 

Leverett,  F.,  citPd 19,  20,  21,  24 

Little    Canteen    Creek . 16 

Location  of  East  St.  Louis  District 2 

Of    wells 101 

Loess     ..-. 26 

Waters     of 60 

Luedeking,    analysis    by 77 

Luer    Bros.,    well 101,  105 

M 

Madison  Coal   Co.,   water   supply 71 

Mine    log 61 

Well,    analysis 75 

Maintenance   of  pumping   stations 34 

Manufacturing  in  East  St.  Louis  District 3,  4 

Martin,    E.,    well 101 

Marysville,   well   at 116 

Mascoutah,  deep  sand  at 64 

Deep  well  at 19,  57 

Mascoutah,   depth   of  well 55 

Exposures   near 22,  24 

Wells    at 117 


INDEX.  125 

Page. 

Mason,     cited*. 42 

Meander    development.  . .  .  ■ i 7 

Meramec    limestones 22 

Merchants'  Ice  &  Fuel  Co.,  well 110,  102 

Meyer,  Harry  L.,  well 101,  105 

Meyer  Packing  Co.,  well 101 

Miller,  Henry,  wells 104,  117 

Millstadt  Brewery   Co,,   well 104 

City     well 104 

Deep    well    at •  •  .  .  63 

Electric   Light  Co.,   well . 104,  117 

Exposures    near 22 

Millstone     grit 64 

Mineral  analyses,  tables  of 83,  94 

Mississippian 19,  22 

Mississippi   flood  plain 7 

Underground   waters   of 43 

River     17 

Deposits     , 27 

Commission,     hydrographs 46 

Commission,     maps 8 

Water     31 

Missouri  Malleable  Iron  Co.,  well  analysis 82 

River    deposits 27 

Mitchell,    analysis 99 

Wells    at 72 

Monks    Mound,    depth    of    well 55 

Depth    to    rock 27 

Well    near 117 

Well     section 106 

Morris    Packing    Co.,    wells 104,  117 

Moser,   J.    W.,   well 102,  111 

Victor,     well 102,  111 

Mowe,  William,  well 102 

Mud     line 34 

"My"   Laundry   wells 101,  108 

N 

Nameoki,   wells  at 73 

Natural  Gas  Co.,  well 103,  113 

Niedringhaus  Steel  Mills  Co.,  wells 101,  108,  56 

Non-flowing    wells 56 

O 

Occurrence   of  ground   water ' 48 

Underground   water ' 49 

O'Falion,     analysis 99 

Electric  Light  &  Water  Co.,  wells 103,  113 

Water     system \  .  . . .• 72 

Oil  in  deep  wells 56 

Ordovician  in  district 19 

Origin  of  Missfppi  flood  plain 7 

Osage    limestones 22 

P 

Palmer,  A.  W.,  analysis  by 78,  79,  80,  81 

Penck,    A.,    cited 10,  53 

Pennsylvania    19,  23 

Peters,  deep  well  at 56 

Depth    to   rock 27 

Depth    of   well .  55 

Site    of 10 

Underground  water   level  near 47 

Wells     73 

Pipe  lines  to  the  river . 31,  33 

Pittsburg,     lake , 16,  39 

Mining   Co.,   well 103 

Reduction   Co.,   well 102,  111 

Pleistocene    deposits 25 

Poag,    analysis 99 

Water  plant   at 65 

Pollution  by  artesian  waters 56,  58,  59 

In   minor   streams ; 38 

Of  Karst  water 54 

Of  pond  waters 42 

Postel,  Julius,  well '. 104 

Milling  Co.,  deep   well. 19 

Well 104,  117 

Well,    analysis 76 


126  INDEX. 

Page. 

Potable   water,   concurrence   of 1 

Powell,   William,  well 102 

Prairie  du  Pont  creek 16,  37 

Preisters  Park,  well 103,  112 

Pumping  plant  at  Alton 70 

East   St.   Louis 33 

Poag     65 

Purification   of  river  water 35 

Q 

Quality  of  artesian  waters 56 

R 

Railway,     rates 4,  5 

Steel    Spring    Co.,    wells 102,  110 

Rainfall  and  underground  water  level 47 

Water,     uses 29 

Ramey,   T.   T.,  well ■ 104 

Rates,    railway 4 

Reck,    Curton,    well 101 

Recommendations    regarding,     cisterns 29 

Flood   plain   wells 50 

Karst    well    water 54 

Lakes    •  • 40 

Pollution   by   artesian  water 60 

Reservoir     waters 41,  42 

Recovery  of  ground  water 48 

Underground   water 49 

Reeds,  Cbester  Albert,  Bowman,  Isaiah  and,  water  resources  of  the  East  St.  Louis 

Disrict    1 

City  and  village  water  supplies  and  systems 62 

Geology    of   district 18 

HydrographJc  features  of  district 13 

Republic  Iron  Works,  well 102,  110 

Reservoir   sites 9 

As    sources    of    supplies 40 

Richardson,   J.   EL,   well 104 

Richland    creek 18,  40 

Section     on 61 

Richmond     limestones 20 

Rolling  Mill  well  at  Granite  City,  analysis 74 

Rose   Lake,   water  analysis • 8k: 

Run  off  of  district 47 


Saginaw,  Michigan,  pollution  by  artesian  waters 58 

Salisbury,  Chamberlain  and,  cited. 8 

Salt  water  in  deep  wells 56,  57 

Sanitary     analysis ' 78,  81 

Table   of 95,  96 

Scale  from  reservoir  water * 40 

Schlicter,   C.    S.}   cited 9,  46 

Schmidt,  John,  well 104,  117 

Schultz,  Jessie,  well 102,  111 

Schwenberger,    creek    16 

Seebode,    Henry,    well 101,  105 

Seepage    rate 45 

Shifting  sand  in  Mississippi   River. 32 

Silurian     21 

Silver    Creek 18 

Simon,  Harry,  well 101 

Sink     holes 10,  23 

Smith,   C.   W.,   well 101 

Snell,,     quoted 37 

Southern  Coal  Co.,  well 103 

Mining  Co.,  shaft  log 61 

Spergen    Hill    limestone • 22 

Spring     Creek 16 

Springs  as  sources  of  supply 30 

Springs  of  Karst  region 52 

St.  Clair  County  Farm,  well 103 

Vinegar  Co.,  water  analysis 76,  103,  112 

St.  Louis  Compress  Co.,  well 104 

Limestone 22 

Near   Burksville 12 

Near    Stolle 10 

Sampling  &  Testing  Co.,  analysis  by 74 

Smelting  Co.'s  well 68 

Steam  Forge  &  Iron  Works,  well 102,  111 


INDEX.  127 

Page. 

St.  Peters  in  Monks  Mound  well 107 

In    wells JN 19 

Stallings,     wells 73 

Star    Brewery    well ; 103,  113 

Starke,  R.  W.,  analysis  by 76 

State  legislation  regarding  the  waste  of  water 58 

State   Water    Survey,    acknowledgement 73 

Analysis    by 78,    79,  80 

Staub,   Nicholas,   well 104 

Stewart,    Bob,    well . 101 

Stolle,     analysis •  • 99 

Exposures    near 22 

Karst    near 10 

Spring    near •  • 52 

Water   resources   near 50 

Stones    River    limestone 20 

Stookey,  analysis 99 

Strainers  in  pipe  lines 34 

Streams  as  sources  of  supplies 31 

Strube,    Eliza,    well 102 

Sulphur   Springs,   Mo.,   exposures   near 20 

Summit  Coal  Mining  Co.,  well 103 

Superior  Coal  &  Mining  Co.,  well 103,  112 

Surface   sources,    conclusions    regarding 118 

Waters  of  district.  . . 29 

Swartz    well 103 

Swift  &  Company,  wells .• 102.  109 

T 

Terminal    Railway    Association 2,  5 

Tiedman  Milling  Co.,  wells 72,  103 

Title 25 

Todd.   J.   E.,   cited 27 

Topographic   features  of   district 6 

Traband,  P.  H.,  well .102,  112 

Travertine  at  Falling   Spring 52 

Trenton  limestone  in   wells 20 

Tri-City  Ice  and  Refrigerating  Co.,  well 101,  109 

Turbidity  of  Palling  Spring  water 53 

Karst    well    water 54 

Stream   water 38. 

U 

Ulrich,     cited 22 

Underground    drainage 43 

Waters     . 43 

Conclusions    regarding 119 

Union  Cap  and  Chemical  Co.,  well 101 

Union  Place  well 103 

United  States  Geological  Survey,  acknowledgement  to. 3 

United  States  Geological  Survey,  cited 57 

Maps     of 10 

Upland    district    topography 9 

Upper   Alton,   analysis 99 

Village    well 101 

Use   of    cisterns 29 

V 

Valley     developments 9 

Vandalia  Railroad  wells 101,  107 

Veach,  A.  C,  cited 52 

Voellinger,    Peter,    well 103,  112 

Voigt,    John,    well 101 

Village  suplies  and   systems 62 

W 

Warsaw    group 22 

Wartburg,  sink  holes  near 12 

Waste  of  aresian  water 58 

Water   from    minor    streams 37 

Waterloo    water    supply 41 

Water  resources  of  deeper  horizon 55 

Of  loess  and  drift 60 

Of  the  East  St.  Louis  district  by  I.  Bowman  and  C.  A.  Reeds 1 

Of  the  Karst 50 

Water  supplies  from  springs  and  streams 30 

Supply  from  lades  and  reservoirs. 39 

Tower    at    Edwardsville , 65 


128  INDEX. 

Page. 

Webb,    E.,    well 1g^ 

Weller,    S.t    cued • j.% 

Wells   at   Belleville 2c 

Wells  at  Coliinsville £» 

Of   the   Karst £4 

Western  Brewery  Co.,   well *U| 

Western  Nail  Works,  well •  •  Lv* 


Wood     River 


13,  37 


LIBRARY  CATALOGUE  SLIPS. 


[Mount  each  slip  upon  a  separate  card,  placing  the  subject  at  the  top  of  the 
second  slip.  The  name  of  the  series  should  not  he  repeated  on  the  Series  card, 
but  the  additional  numbers  should  be  added,  as  received,  to  the  first  entry.] 


Bowman,  Isaiah  and  Chester  Albert  Reeds. 
author.  Water  Resources  of  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 

Urbana,  University  of  Illinois. 

(II  fig-.  4  pi.  130  pp. )    State  Geological  Survey.    Bulletin  No.  5. 

Bowman,  I.  and  C.  A.  Reeds. 

subject.  Water  Resources  of  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 

Urbana,  University  of  Illinois,  1907. 

(II  fig.  4  pi.  130  pp.)    State  Geological  Surve. .    Bulletin  No.  5. 


State  Geological  Survey. 
Series.  Bulletins. 

No.  5.     Isaiah  Bowman  and  Chester  Albert  Reeds. 
Water  Resources  of  the  East  St.  Louis  District. 


-9G 


NOTICE. 


A  portion  of  each  edition  of  the  Bulletin  of  the  State  Geological  Survey  is 
set  aside  for  gratuitous  distribution.  To  meet  the  wants  of  libraries  and  in- 
dividuals not  reached  in  this  first  distribution,  500  copies  are  in  each  case 
reserved  for  sale  at  cost,  including  postage.  The  reports  may  be  obtained 
upon  application  to  the  State  Geological  Survey,  Urbana,  Illinois,  and  checks 
and  money  orders  should  be  made  payable  to  H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana. 

The  list  of  publications  is  as  follows: 

Bulletin  1.  The  Geological  Map  of  Illinois;  by  Stuart  "Weller.  Including  a 
folded,  colored  geological  map  of  the  State  on  the  scale  of  12  miles  to  the 
inch,  with  descriptive  text  of  26  pages.  Gratuitous  edition  exhausted.  Sale 
price  45  cents. 

Bulletin  2.  The  Petroleum  Industry  of  Southeastern  Illinois;'  by  W.  S. 
Blatchley.  Preliminary  report  descriptive  of  condition  up  to  May  10th,  1906. 
109  pages.    Gratuitous  edition  exhausted.    Sale  price  25  cents. 

Bulletin  8.  Composition  and  Character  of  Illinois  Coals;  by  S.  W.  Parr; 
with  chapters  on  the  Distribution  of  the  Coal  Beds  of  the  State,  by  A.  Bement, 
and  Tests  of  Illinois  Coals  under  Steam  Boilers,  by  L.  P.  Breckenridge.  A 
preliminary  report  of  86  pages.  Gratuitous  edition  exhausted.  Sale  price 
25  cents. 

Bulletin  4.  Year  Book  for  1906,  by  H.  Foster  Bain,  director,  and  others.  In- 
cludes papers  on  the  topographic  survey,  on  Illinois  fire  clays,  on  limestones 
for  fertilizers,  on  silica  deposits,  on  coal,  and  on  regions  near  East  St.  Louis, 
Springfield  and  in  southern  Calhoun  county.     260  pages.     Postage  9  cents. 

Circular  No.  1.  The  Mineral  Production  of  Illinois  in  1905.  Pamphlet,  14 
pages,  postage  2  cents. 

Circular  No.  2.  The  Mineral  Production  of  Illinois  in  1906.  Pamphlet,  16 
pages,  postage  2  cents. 


